Love and Hatred Cannot be Separated
by blackhearts14
Summary: Sakura was left alone in the village. She was under the watchful eye of the Fifth Hokage, training and learning. One night, an impulse drives Sakura deep into the forest. Lies, betrayals, death, discoveries, friendships, lose; Sakura is exposed to all of it. From that day on, everything had changed. But did it change for better or for worse?
1. A Full Moon

**This is my second fanfic, and I haven't finished my first one, so sorry if I take awhile to update. And I feel like I should clarify two things:**

**1. There will not be any ItaSaku in this fanfic! The main characters are Sakura and Itachi but there will not be any romance between the two of them. So if that's the reason why you started reading this fanfic, I hate to disappoint, but I also don't want to waste your time and make you believe that they are going to end up together or something.**

**2. If you have read my other fanfic, do not expect the same thing. This story won't have a lot of romance or anything that my other story has. This one will probably turn out a lot more depressing.**

**So, if after reading these two things you will still read my new fanfic, then I hope you enjoy.**

**And one more thing, there will be SPOILERS in this story (especially next chapter). So if you aren't caught up with Naruto (the manga) get caught up or find another fanfic to read. Or if you don't care that I ruin one of the most interesting parts of the manga (so far) then please continue reading. :)**

Chapter 1  
>A Full Moon<p>

Sakura distantly heard something beeping. As she came to her senses, she realized that it was her alarm clock. She moved one hand from under the covers to her nightstand. She pushed a button on the alarm clock; it stopped beeping. She closed her eyes and listened for any noise. There was nothing. Both her parents were still sound asleep in their room. Before the warmth of her bed could convince her that she had time to waste, she quickly got up and dressed as quietly as possible. She went down to the kitchen, ate a quick cereal, and left the house.

She looked up at the still dark sky. It was almost six in the morning and the sun would soon begin to rise. She stopped suddenly. She looked up at the sky again and wondered what her two other teammates were doing right now. She smiled to herself. Naruto was probably snoring away in a tent or motel right now with the pervy sage doing the exact same thing. Naruto probably would sleep in pretty late, but she was sure that when he finally got up, he would go out and train until he couldn't move. She giggled. No, that wasn't true. He would probably have his lunch breaks.

Sakura's smile quickly vanished as she thought of her other teammate. She had no idea what he would be doing or where he was. It was easy to assume what Naruto was doing, but Sasuke? Sasuke could be sleeping, training, eating... Anything he felt like doing. It had only been two days since Naruto left so they couldn't be so far away. It had been three months since Sasuke left. And she had no idea where to start looking. Sakura felt her eyes begin to sting.

Sakura pushed away all thoughts concerning Uchiha Sasuke and continued to walk. Once she got to her destination, she walked up the stairs towards her sensei's office. As she was walking down the hall, she bumped into a ninja. "Shizune!"

"Sakura," Shizune smiled at the girl in front of her. "Right on time. Come with me, I need your help sorting out some papers."

"Sure thing," Sakura said. She followed Shizune into one of the many rooms on that floor. The room only had cabinets lining the walls, but it was a complete mess with papers everywhere. This didn't surprise her. Sakura was used to seeing all of the rooms in the Hokage's building a mess. Even though she had a very short time working there.

"Well," Shizune said, looking around the room. "Looks like we have our work cut out for us." Sakura gave her a weak smile.

They both spent the next hour and a half sorting out all the papers and putting them in cabinets. Once they were done they could hear that the villagers where starting off their days and the sun shone brightly through the only window in the room. Sakura let out a deep sigh and looked around the room. It was perfectly organized now. She looked at Shizune, who also looked satisfied with the office, and gave her a real smile. "We're finally done," Sakura stated.

"With this room," Shizune added grimly. Sakura couldn't help but let out a low groan. Shizune laughed. "Come on, you have to do your morning exercises." Sakura nodded, and they both left the room. They walked down the hall and greeted people as they past. There was Sakura had come to know many more of the officials in the Hokage building after her time there. The people she had met weren't as critical of her as she thought they would be but saying that they were nice was a lie too. Well, not all of them were nice.

Once they reached their destination, they entered the room. This one was much bigger than the last. Books in bookshelves covered the walls a big couch in the middle of the room and three tables placed in front of it. Sakura went to stand in front of the middle table like she always did. Shizune placed a sheet of white paper that had many different symbols written on it with an empty circle in the middle. She placed a bird in the circle. It chirped softly and anyone would have been able to tell that it was injured.

"No more dead fish?" Sakura asked.

"No," Shizune said with a small smile. "And believe it or not healing a living thing will be more tricky than bringing a fish back to life. Now, at first glance you will not be able to tell what is wrong with the bird. So you will have to examine it carefully and thoroughly. Be gentle so that the bird won't feel any more pain than necessary." With that said, Sakura slowly started to touch the bird and tried to find what was wrong with it. Shizune gave her some suggestions on how to do something better, but other than that, she left the young ninja alone. To Shizune's surprise, Sakura found the problem within a minute. She knew Sakura was immensely talented, but it still shocked her whenever Sakura would surpass normal expectations.

Afterward, Shizune instructed Sakura on how to heal the bird's broken wing. Sakura listened attentively to what Shizune was telling her. Once Shizune was done explaining, Sakura put her left hand in front of her right one and placed both hands on top of the bird's broken wing. She concentrated all of her chakra to her hands and after a few seconds, her hands were glowing green. She focused on moving the bone back into place. Once that was done, Sakura began to mend the two parts of the bone together. She let out a deep sigh once the bone was completely healed.

The bird chirped happily. Sakura smiled up at Shizune. "That was very good, Sakura," Shizune praised her.

"Thanks Shizune," Sakura said. At that, Tsunade walked into the room. She looked down at the healed bird, and smiled.

"Looks like you passed your lesson," Tsunade said.

"Yep," Shizune said. She took the bird and walked over to the window. "She did it very quickly too." Shizune opened the window and let the bird fly out the window.

"That's good," Tsunade said. Sakura couldn't help but smile. She was extremely happy that she was finally good at something. "Now, Sakura, go down to the training grounds. I'll be there momentarily."

"Hai," Sakura said, and she walked out of the room. As she was walking down the stairs, she saw the Elders discussing something in whispers. Mitokado looked up and spotted Sakura. They both abruptly stopped talking and waited for Sakura to pass them. When she was one step from them, she bowed towards them. "Good morning, Mitokado-sama, Utatane-sama." The two elders just nodded their heads. Sakura quickly continued down the stairs. She heard them pick up their conversation when she was gone. She couldn't help but think that she heard them say Uchiha.

Once she got to the training grounds, she began to stretch. She still thought about what she heard the Elders say. Sakura couldn't think of any word that she might have confused Uchiha with but quickly dismissed it. Even if she had heard right, it made perfect sense for them to be talking about a recent missing nin. Sakura felt immensely sad at the thought of Sasuke. And she also felt guilty. Sakura felt that she should have done more to stop him. Neji, Kiba, Akamaru, Choji, and Naruto had almost died for going after Sasuke. All she got was a hit in the back of the head. She felt responsible for her friends' injuries. She also felt it was her fault that everyone had to worry about them. She remembered how sad Choji's dad looked waiting to hear news about his son's condition.

Sakura heard Tsunade walking over to her. She, once again, pushed her feelings out of the way and focused on training. She knew very well that if she let her guard down, she could end up seriously injured. "All right, Sakura," Tsunade began. "I hope that you got plenty of rest, because today's training is going to be brutal." Tsunade was wearing an evil grin. Sakura suppressed a groan. She knew Tsunade wasn't exaggerating when she said that.

* * *

><p>Sakura limped over to her bed. The training with Tsunade had been gruesome. And after that she still had had to do more paperwork, and use up more chakra to heal some birds Shizune brought her. She was in too much pain. Sakura dropped down on her bed. It was eleven thirty at night. Her parents steady breathing were the only sounds in the house. Her mother seemed to dislike how much time Sakura spent training, though she never said anything. Having ones daughter be an apprentice to the Hokage was something to be proud of, not something to complain about.<p>

Sakura just stared up at her ceiling for a couple of minutes. After that, she slowly got up and walked over to the bathroom. She turned on the water in the shower. Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. Her face had a few cuts and dried sweat on it. As she slowly took of her clothes, she noticed more bruises on her body. She did not mind that. Not how she would have been horrified to have even the smallest blemish on her body a year ago. No. With all that had happened, she would be an idiot to pay any attention to all of those bruises.

Once she was fully undressed, she stepped into the shower. Sakura flinched as she felt the ice cold water hit her body. She didn't know why, but she just preferred to take cold showers after a long day of training. A few minutes passed, and Sakura got used to the cold water. She liked the way her muscles started to relax. Though it felt good to get some type of relief from the physical pain she was feeling, this quiet moment, when no one was up and only the sound of the water could be heard, terrified Sakura. This was the one moment in the day that her mind was completely empty and there was no distraction that could take her mind off of her emotional turmoil.

Sasuke left the village and almost caused the death of some of her friends. Naruto then left with Jiraiya to train so he could one day be strong enough to bring Sasuke back to the village. There no longer was a Team 7. Kakashi was officially relieved of his duties as their sensei and began to do a variety of different missions with other teams. Tsunade had said that she preferred not to give Sakura any missions. That way, Sakura could focus completely on training. Her current goal was to pass the Chunin Exams with Choji and Ino as her teammates.

The Chunin Exams. They brought so many bad memories: Orochimaru, the curse mark, Sasuke's change, the fight against Gaara. The worst of it was that those times proved again and again how weak she was. Sakura felt that she had been useless in all of the time she was in Team 7. Every mission. Even on the simplest ones, she was only a bother to the rest of the team.

Sakura reminded herself that those horrible memories were the reasons she had asked to be Lady Tsunade's apprentice: to become stronger and no longer be a bother to anyone. Sakura stood there, in the shower, letting the cold water run over her body and trying to avoid having that thought pop back into her head. But no matter how hard she tried, the thought that had started to intrude her head for the last month entered once more.

What if training with Tsunade wasn't enough?

Sakura turned off the water and got out of the shower. Every time that thought popped into her head it made her blood boil. Tsunade was one of the legendary Sanin, for crying out loud. How could training with her not be enough? Sakura had no idea where that thought even came from. She just woke up one night and that thought crossed her mind.

Sakura dried herself off and got dressed. She wore a baggy black shirt and short black shorts to bed. Sakura brushed her hair furiously. She was mad at herself for thinking that. Though, Sakura would never admit that the thought scared her to death. What if it was true? What if learning from Tsunade really wasn't enough? What would she do then?

Sakura was about to slam the brush down on the sink, but she quickly stopped when she remembered that her parents were asleep in the other room. Sakura gently put the brush down and left the bathroom towards her room. Once in her room, she pushed aside the curtains covering the window near her bed to allow her to see the full moon. It was a starless night, making the moon appear that much brighter and that much more beautiful. Sakura stared up at the big moon. She loved the moon. It always comforted her knowing that no matter where her teammates were or what they were going, the moon that they would be looking at would be the same one she was staring at right now. It made her feel closer to them.

A memory of the Third Hokage flashed in Sakura's head. Sakura couldn't help but smile a bit. The moon wasn't only a connection to the people on the planet; it was a connection to the people that were in heaven, too. Sakura slowly laid down on her bed. Thinking about all of the people that were dead made her remember why Sasuke had left in the first place. His parents, his entire clan was dead! And, in Sakura's opinion, the worst part was that Uchiha Itachi had killed them. Sakura couldn't help but think that Itachi must have been the perfect older brother. If Itachi had been the worst possible brother, son, ninja, then no one would have been so surprised that he snapped and killed everyone.

_He couldn't have been such a horrible ninja,_ Sakura thought. _He was good enough to take down the Uchiha Clan._ Sakura let out a deep sigh. Sakura hated herself for having that slight doubt that the man that ruined Sasuke's life was not evil. Even if Itachi had been an average brother and son, an exceptional ninja, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. Everyone has there secrets, is what the people would have commented. It's always the quiet ones, is what one would hear. But if the perfect son, the perfect older brother, the perfect ninja, were to do the horrible crimes the people accuse Itachi off, then the response would be exactly what it was now: complete and utter shock.

_The perfect older brother. _Sakura stared at her ceiling deep in thought. Forgetting the physical pain and the exhaustion she had felt a few minutes before. _What were you like Uchiha Itachi?_ Sakura had asked herself that a couple of times since Sasuke had left. She felt a little guilty afterward, but while she was in her thoughts, she just felt curious. _You must have been great to Sasuke for him to hate you so much for what you did. You probably taught him the basics on how to be a ninja._ Sakura sat up and looked back at the full moon. _When did you start planning the annihilation of your own clan?_ Sakura crossed her legs and rested her head on her hands, her arms resting on her knees. She stayed like that for a whole minute, and then Sakura looked back up at the moon.

_What were you like Uchiha Itachi?_ she asked herself again.

Without knowing why, Sakura quickly got off her bed and started to put on her shoes. Once her shoes were on, Sakura headed toward her bedroom door. As she touched the knob, Sakura froze. _What are you doing, Haruno?_ Sakura looked back at her room. She couldn't explain why she had had an urge to leave her room. She had no idea what she was doing or where she was planning to go in shorts and a thin shirt in the middle of a very cold night. It would be so easy to just curl up in her bed and get some rest before she had to face another long and painful day. So easy...Sakura shook her head and opened the door.

Sakura quietly made her way down the stairs and out of her house. Once she was out, she stopped for a moment. The cold wind hit her but Sakura tried to ignore it. She had come out on a whim so she wasn't sure of where she should go. Sakura looked left and right trying to decide.

"Damn," Sakura mumbled and hugged herself to try and get warmer. Without thinking much of the situation she was in, Sakura started to walk down the right side of the street. Sakura wasn't sure of where she was going. She just walked down the streets of Konoha. Taking random turns here and there. She passed the Yamanaka's flower shop, the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, and the Academy.

Before she knew it, Sakura was outside of the city, walking into the forest. Sakura kept on walking unsure of where she was or why she had chosen this path. Or rather, why she had chosen not to follow the main path in the forest and risk falling over all the tree roots. Sakura just felt drawn to a place somewhere in the distance and she was going to find out where that was. A few more meters and Sakura began to hear the sound of rushing water. She started walking even faster, and as she did her heart started to pump faster. Not because of the accelerated speed but because of an on growing uneasiness. She wasn't sure what she was going to find in this place and she really didn't know if she was going to like it. The sound of the rushing water got louder. Sakura could tell that it was a waterfall. She could also tell that the waterfall was in a clearing because a lot more moonlight could be seen through the next few trees. Sakura felt like the clearing was her destination. This was where she had wanted to come. This was the place where she had felt drawn.

Suddenly, Sakura stopped. She stopped breathing, she stopped walking, she stopped thinking. Sakura had sensed the presence of someone else in the clearing. Sakura slowly and silently took a deep breath. Somehow she knew that whoever was in the clearing was the reason she had come out. Then Sakura realized something. It wasn't the place that had drawn her; it was this person. Sakura could tell that the person hadn't moved at all. Sakura scolded herself for not having brought even a simple kunai for protection. Her heart was racing. Sakura didn't know how but she knew that if she were to walk away and go back home, the person in the clearing would not follow her and she would never again feel drawn to any place that he or she was in. But Sakura wanted to know who was in the clearing. She felt it would be the biggest mistake of her life to leave this place. The decision to go into the clearing or to turn around and never look back felt as if Sakura had to choose between life and death.

Sakura walked on forward. And entered the clearing. Once she saw who was in the clearing, Sakura couldn't decide if she had chosen life or death.

"Itachi."

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoyed. And, honestly, even before I found out that Itachi was a good guy I always wanted him to be a good guy and had thought of something similar to this story before.<strong>

**Please review!**


	2. A Shocking Truth

Chapter 2  
>A Shocking Truth<p>

Sakura's eyes couldn't believe what she was seeing. She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe. But yet, in less than a minute, her mind was able to process everything around her. She was in the most beautiful place she had every seen. She was at the edge of a big clearing. A couple of meters away there was the waterfall that she had heard. It was only about five meters high. The rush of water was light, so it created a tranquil melody. The river was sparkling because of the moonlight, and, on the other side, there was still more clear space, and then there were many trees, so tall and old. There were a few flowerbeds scattered around the ground. Since there were no trees to obscure the sky the full moon lit up the clearing giving it an almost ethereal glow.

Sakura looked over at the man standing right by the river. He was looking at her with his Sharingan activated. Goosebumps ran down Sakura's skin. He was wearing a black coat that covered his entire body. There were red clouds on it. He didn't seem like he was mad or anything like that, but his stare made Sakura nervous. Though Sakura thought he seemed slightly relieved.

"Itachi," Sakura whispered again. There wasn't much else she could say. She wasn't even sure how she had known his name. Sakura didn't remember a time when she had seen his face. But his face did seem familiar and it wasn't just because he looked a lot like Sasuke.

"Hello, Haruno Sakura," Itachi said in an uninterested voice. His voice sounded loud and clear in the quiet night. Sakura shivered at the sound of his voice and involuntarily took a step back. Itachi caught every movement. "There is no reason for you to be scared of me," Itachi said, and for some reason, Sakura thought his voice sounded kind. As if he was talking to a little kid and trying to reassure him of something that was obvious to any adult. "I don't want to kill you or hurt you, so don't try anything." Sakura finally got over the shock of having seen the man that caused Sasuke so much pain, thanks to the anger that was running through her body.

"You won't kill me?" Sakura asked, sarcasm thick in her voice. "You killed your own parents! Your entire clan!" Sakura was now screaming at him. "And you honestly expect me to believe that you won't kill me. Someone you just barely met! Someone you should have no emotions towards!"

Itachi didn't say anything for a while. Sakura even went as for as to think he was sad, but she quickly pushed that thought out of her head. This guy couldn't feel emotions. "Your right about some things but not about everything," Itachi bluntly stated.

"Are you going to deny that you killed your parents?" Sakura was losing her patience and her common sense. Screaming at someone that could kill you in the blink of an eye was not smart, but, Sakura hated to admit, she trusted him when he said that he wouldn't hurt her unless she did something.

"No," Itachi said slowly. "I'm not going to deny that I killed them. But I didn't kill the _entire_ Uchiha clan." Itachi put emphasize on "entire."

"Yeah," Sakura said sarcastically. "Leaving one person alive makes such a big difference. Is that the only reason you kept him alive? So you could always contradict people?" Sakura felt strange talking to him. She didn't like this situation, but it didn't feel like she was talking to an S-ranked criminal. It felt like she was just screaming at a random stranger that had been rude or something. "What else was I wrong about?"

"This isn't the first time we've met," Itachi said. Sakura's eyes widened.

"Of course this is the first time we've met," Sakura yelled back at him. Since when did she become so damn irrational and hotheaded like Naruto?

"It's not," Itachi repeated.

"I think I would remember if I had seen you before!" Sakura screamed at him.

"Yes," Itachi agreed in a monotone voice. "But not if I had erased your memory."

"What?" Sakura didn't know what to believe. Her mind was still a little numb from the surprise of seeing Itachi.

"Don't you think that the Sharingan can do that?"

"I-I," Sakura stuttered.

"It can." Itachi answered for her.

"Yo-you erased my memory?" Sakura was slowly starting to understand, but she still wasn't sure if she should believe him or not.

"Yes, I did," Itachi bluntly stated.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"Do you believe me?"

"I don't know," Sakura honestly responded. She didn't understand what it was about Itachi that made her trust him enough to not be calculating his every move. She was even relaxed at that moment. Relaxed! When she was only a couple meters away from an S-ranked criminal.

"Fair enough," Itachi said. "It was pretty simple actually. Though I haven't met anyone else who can do it. It's just another one of the Sharingan's secret abilities."

"So it's just like Tsukuyomi," Sakura asked. Hearing this, Itachi finally showed some sign of interest in what Sakura was saying. Itachi seemed shocked.

"So you've heard of Tsukuyomi," Itachi said.

He had said it as a statement but Sakura still answered him. "Yes," she said.

"Where? Who told you?" Itachi asked. Sakura felt as if he were panicking.

"I overheard Tsunade and Shizune talking about it," Sakura told him. "Now can you tell me how you erased my memory? And why?"

"All I had to do was look you in the eyes with my Mangekyo Sharingan and perform the jutsu. As to why," Itachi paused for a moment thinking if he should tell her the truth or not. "Because I didn't want you to fight with Sasuke."

"I don't understand," Sakura said.

Itachi let out a deep sigh, and Sakura thought that she had asked a stupid question. "All the memories I erased were happy memories of you and me. If you had kept those memories, you probably wouldn't have believed that I would kill my own clan. And if Sasuke ever heard you say something like that, I strongly doubt he would hesitate to..."

"Kill me," Sakura finished for him.

"Do you disagree?" Sakura shook her head. "Then you see why I found it necessary to do what I did."

"This doesn't make any sense," Sakura said.

"I'm sure it's a lot to take in, but-"

"That's not what I meant," Sakura interrupted. "Why would you go so far to protect me, when you easily killed your parents?"

Itachi stared at Sakura for a long moment. "Do you believe what I'm telling you?"

"Stop avoiding my questions," Sakura yelled at him.

"Answer mine," Itachi told her.

Now it was Sakura who hesitated. "I don't know."

"Sit down," Itachi said after a short pause. Sakura didn't move. "It's going to be a long explanation, so I think you will be more comfortable sitting down." To prove his point, Itachi sat down and leaned against a tree. Sakura was tense the whole time. Itachi hadn't moved throughout their exchange. When he finally did move, Sakura was expecting some sort of attack. Itachi looked up at her expectantly.

_I really hope this is the right choice,_ Sakura thought, as she sat down on the floor, legs crossed.

"I'm sure you've heard of how the village was created and how things were before, right?"

"The clans fought one another to be the best," Sakura answered without hesitation. "The strongest clans were the Senju and the Uchiha."

"Correct," Itachi said, not at all surprised that Sakura had known that. "People would go so far as to call the Uchiha's an army. And in that 'army' a boy by the name of Uchiha Madara was born. I'm sure you know him. You must remember that the last battle Naruto and Sasuke had was in the Valley of the End. Where Madara and the First Hokage fought each other. I always find that ironic," Itachi said, more to himself than to her. "Madara had the greatest chakra anyone had every seen. He admired Senju Hashirama greatly. Probably the only man he ever admired.

"Madara had a younger brother named Izuna. He was also one of the strongest members of the Uchiha clan. In the Uchiha clan, the younger and older brothers are always fighting each other. They grow up as best friends, but once they are old enough, they challenge each other and the stronger of the two brothers steals the others' eyes. That is the only way to obtain the perfect Mangekyo Sharingan." Itachi paused for a moment and looked over at Sakura, who hadn't said a word the entire time. "No outburst? No saying that it's completely cruel?"

Sakura looked up at Itachi. "No," she simply said.

"Fine," Itachi said, and quickly went back to his story. "Senju and Uchiha were enemy's. Izuna volunteered to give Madara his eyes. The day after Izuna died, Senju wanted to make a treaty." At this, Sakura finally showed signs of life. Her eyes grew wide. "Madara was the only one that was against the treaty. But because the entire Uchiha clan was sick of death, he had no choice but to sign the treaty. After that the Fire Nation decided to make the one village per country police. And so, Konoha was made.

"As you know, Hashirama was the first Hokage. But Madara was always saying that the Uchihas were losing their superiority. No one would follow him, though. So he left the village. Later on, Madara fought against the First Hokage. He evidently lost and everyone believed him to be dead.

"After the First Hokage, his younger brother Senju Tobirama became the Second Hokage. To continue the peace that his older brother had established, he made the Uchiha clan the leaders of the Konoha Military Police Force as a sign of peace. Though, some of the Uchiha members believed that they used this as a way to keep the Uchiha from governing Konoha. Because of that belief, the Uchiha's began to rebel.

"And not to long after, the nine-tailed spirit attacked the village. Because only the Uchiha were able to control the Kyubi, the village suspected one of the Uchihas had attacked the village. This gave the elders a reason to segregate the Uchihas from the rest of the village and to have them under close ANBU watch. The Third did disagree with what his advisers and Danzo were doing and he voiced those disagreements. But they ignored him.

"Soon, everyone's suspicious became true. The Uchihas started to plot to take over Konoha." Itachi paused and looked out at the river. "The elders needed a spy in the Uchiha clan."

"You were the spy?" Sakura asked. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes," Itachi said, finally looking at her. "I was Konoha's spy. My father thought that I was his spy when I entered ANBU, but really I was a double-agent."

"Why?" Sakura suddenly interrupted.

Itachi looked into Sakura's eyes, and Sakura could see all the pain and suffering that was in them. "I had experienced war when I was a child. I had seen what it could do. I wasn't about to let Sasuke and all the children of the village go through what I went through, especially if I could stop it. So I gave information to the village about Uchiha. My own father was the leader of the plan. Sasuke had no idea of anything since he was too young. If the Uchiha's attacked the village, it would lead to a civil war. And bring the entire Fire Nation into turmoil. No village would let the opportunity to attack the Leaf pass them by. It would lead to another ninja war. Many innocent people would be killed because of a decade old grudge!" Itachi seemed disgusted with the idea. "I wasn't about to let that happen. The Third tried to reach a treaty. But time was running out, and I had to make a choice. I chose to complete my mission: eliminate the entire Uchiha clan.

"But even I couldn't do this alone. So I went to the one person that could possibly help me accomplish it." Itachi again stared into Sakura's eyes. "I asked Uchiha Madara for help."

"He was still alive?" Sakura screamed. "He's _still_ alive?"

"Yes," Itachi answered. "Uchiha Madara is still alive. Don't ask me how cause even I haven't been able to figure it out. He agreed to kill the Uchiha clan but not to touch any of the other villagers. But I was never able to kill Sasuke. I couldn't. It was unbearable to see him that night. I thought I would never be able to say what I needed to. But in the end, everything went as planned. I had to plea with the Third to not kill Sasuke and to not tell him or anyone else what had actually happened that night. He agreed right away saying it was the least he could do."

"Do you plan to die by Sasuke's hand?" Sakura asked finally getting a hold of her emotions enough to think. She surprised herself by how well she was handling all of this.

"Yes. That is the main reason why I let Sasuke live, other than the fact that I would never be able to kill him. I don't want to live a full life when I have done the things I did."

Sakura just looked at Itachi. She didn't pity him. She looked at him with respect and astonishment. _How could someone possible live with themselves after they've done something like that?_ Sakura wasn't blaming Itachi for what he had done. She was wondering how much pain the Uchiha must be in.

"Why are you telling _me_ all of this?" Sakura asked after a couple of minutes.

"I have no idea what Sasuke will do after he kills me," Itachi sated without any type of emotion even though he was talking about his own death. "I definitely do not want him to find out what I just told you."

"Sasuke would be heartbroken if he did," Sakura said.

"He would," Itachi agreed. "And he would want to take revenge on the Leaf. Don't you agree?"

"Yes," Sakura said without having to think twice about it. "But you still haven't answered my question."

"I want to have someone to be there to help Sasuke find the correct path after I die and make sure that he never finds out the truth."

"But why me?" Sakura asked again. "I'm not close to Sasuke. He would never listen to me. You would have better luck if you told Naruto this. He-"

"Jiraiya would never let me get anywhere near Naruto right now," Itachi interrupted.

"But if there is anyone who had the smallest possibility that Sasuke would listen to them it's Naruto," Sakura said.

Itachi didn't say anything to Sakura and looked out into the forest. For a long time neither of them said anything. But then Itachi broke the silence.

"Do you believe what I have told you?" Itachi asked, looking into Sakura's eyes.

Sakura thought for a moment about that question. Did she believe him? She wasn't sure. Part of her told her that the answer should quickly be no because what he was saying was absurd. It couldn't be true. But another part of her wanted it to be true.

"I don't know," she said after a while. "I doubt you can actually give me any proof if what you say is true or not, right?"

"I have no proof of what I'm saying," Itachi said. "The Elders and Danzo are the only ones that know the truth, but they would never admit it."

"What about Madara?"

"Do you want to actually meet him or something? I haven't talked to him since that night, and I don't plan on doing so any time soon. I don't trust him in the least."

"Should I trust you?" Sakura asked without thinking.

Itachi looked surprised. "I'm telling you the truth Sakura. Whether it would be a good thing if you believed me or not...I don't know."

"That's not very reassuring," Sakura mumbled.

Itachi chuckled very softly, causing Sakura to be very surprised. "No, its not very reassuring," Itachi said with the smallest of smiles on his face. "You have to decide whether you believe me or not."

"If what your saying is true," Sakura began, "why would you let Sasuke go with Orochimaru?"

Itachi stood up then. "It's late," he said. "You should go home."

"Answer my question first," Sakura said. She was already standing up.

"First, decide whether you believe me or not and if you are willing to help me." Itachi looked very serious and Sakura wasn't sure what to do.

"Help you?" Sakura asked. "What exactly do you mean be that? What would I have to do?"

"I'm sorry," Itachi began, "but until you give me an answer, I can't tell you anything about what you would have to do if your answer was yes."

"Your not making this very easy on me," Sakura said, now angry. "How can I agree to something when I don't even know what it is? It's like you want me to say no."

"Those are the exact words I told the Elders and the Third when they asked me to be a spy for them," Itachi said. His voice seemed sad and his eyes were focused on nothing, making Sakura believe that he was remembering that day. Itachi looked back at Sakura, and Sakura could tell that he was in pain. Immense and constant pain. "Now you know how I felt." With that he turned around and walked onto the river. "I'll be here tomorrow at the same time. I'll only wait until four in the morning. If you agree to what I have asked, then you will be here tomorrow." Then he disappeared.

Sakura stared at the spot where Itachi had been, unable to say anything. She slowly collapsed onto the floor. Every single word Itachi had said was quickly passing through her head, as if she was reliving everything that had just happened in fast forward. Sakura didn't even now where to start. Could the Elders force Itachi to kill his own clan? Did they do that? Uchiha Madara was alive? How did he survive all those years? How did no one find him? Why did she trust Itachi? Why did she feel that he was a good guy? Did he really erase her memory of him from when she was a child? What were those memories even about?

Was anything that he had said true?

Sakura was sitting with her knees hugged to her chest so she felt when something wet fell on her knee. At first she thought it had started to rain and quickly looked up at the sky to see if it was. But she soon realized that her face was covered in tears. She wiped her eyes but the tears did not end.

Sakura wasn't sure why she was crying. But she knew she had plenty of reasons to cry for. For Itachi and all the pain that he had to go though. All the sacrifices he had to make. For the damn emotions that she was feeling towards him. She tried to remind herself over and over again that she shouldn't be crying for him. He was her enemy. He was the reason why Sasuke had left.

It was all his fault! His fault that she was there, in the cold forest in the middle of the night. His fault that Sasuke had left and that all of her friends had to suffer. His fault that she was so confused, so angry with herself and everyone else. Why had she come? All of this was just bringing her problems that she didn't need.

After a couple of minutes, Sakura stopped crying and took a deep breath to try and calm herself. She needed to think of what to do. She needed to sort out all of the mess that was currently her head. And the first thing she needed to find out was if Itachi was telling the truth to begin with. But if he was, she sure was an idiot for crying over something that seemed so stupid compared to what Itachi supposedly had to do. Well, what ever she started off with, she wouldn't get more done here than in her own room.

Sakura got up and started walking towards the village. At the slightest sound, Sakura would get scared thinking it could be someone. Though Sakura never once thought that it was Itachi. But she still had goose bumps. She felt like someone was watching her. This fear, or suspicion, just made Sakura pick up the pace and get home a lot sooner than she had taken to get to the clearing in the first place.

Sakura quietly entered the house and went up to her room. Nothing had seemed out of place, but she hadn't paid much attention to anything when she had gotten on her block. She was just to eager to get to her room and think things through.

If she hadn't been in such a rush... maybe she would have noticed that the kitchen window was open. Or that a shadow had disappeared on the opposite side of the street when she reached her block. Or the fact that there was a small chakra in her closet. Or just the fact that everything felt like something was about to happen; that all that was left was for dramatic horror music to start playing.

But Haruno Sakura noticed none of these things, and was completely shocked when she felt something, or, better said, someone hit her in the back of the head. And maybe she wouldn't have seen those red orbs that had three dots of black in them just before she passed out.

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><p><strong>Well, sorry for the wait (And the cliffhanger) :D<strong>

**Please review and hope you enjoyed it.**


	3. Imprisonment

**Hey everyone. I know, I know. More than a month to update...again. But I'm finally on my summer vacation so I should be able to update a tad bit more. No promises though. Well, hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter 3  
>Imprisonment<p>

In a small cottage far away from any big village, a pink haired girl was lying on the cold floor. Her hands were tied behind her back, tightly, forming bruises on her wrists after only two hours. There was no light in the little room she was in and there was also no furniture in the room. There was only the kunoichi that would soon go to hell and back.

The door to the room suddenly opened. A tall man with the same black coat with red clouds on it like Itachi had walked into the room. He was wearing an orange mask with lines forming a swirl around the one whole that the mask had, placed probably were his right eye must be. The unconscious girl didn't move at all and seemed like she was still going to be out of it for a couple more hours if left undisturbed. The man left the room again and came back a couple of seconds later with a wooden chair. He placed the chair right next to Sakura's body. He then picked Sakura up and placed her on the chair with her tied hands behind the back of the chair. He then got out more rope and took his time slowly tying Sakura's feet to each one of the legs.

Once that was done, the man took a couple of steps back to look at the pink haired girl. Her chin was touching her chest since she was still unconscious. He walked back towards her and pulled her head up by pulling her hair. The kunoichi would have screamed if she had felt it. The man kept looking at her face, memorizing every feature. His right hand slowly moved towards a bag he had attached to his waist, but he suddenly stopped. Should he really do this? Or should he let her wake up first? His hand continued his movement not even a second after it had stopped. The man took out a kunai.

And then quickly stabbed her in the leg.

This time it didn't matter that Sakura wasn't awake. As soon as the kunai dug into her flesh, Sakura's eyes popped open and a loud pain filled scream came from her mouth. The man retreated a little, leaving the kunai in her leg.

Sakura bit down on her lip and shut her eyes trying not to scream even though the pain was more overwhelming than it might have been if she had at least been awake before. She had gone from feeling nothing to an intense pain in her right thigh. Sakura slowly opened her eyes. The pain hadn't lessened or anything but her fear gave her the strength to look around and try and figure out where she was and what had happened. Her vision was blurred a little because of the intense pain. She blinked her eyes trying to see clearly.

Once her vision was better, it took her a little longer for her eyes to adjust to the dark room. She was finally able to see the outline of a man in front of her. Sakura's senses were on high alert when she saw something that must have been the man's arm reach for something above her.

Soon, there was a light turned on right above her head. It wasn't so bright that it light up the whole room, but Sakura still had to close her eyes at the sudden illumination. The back of her eyelids were red, but Sakura knew she had to keep her eyes open to see what the man was doing and who he even was.

Sakura opened her eyes slowly and blinked a couple of times until her vision improved. She looked in front of her and saw a man that was wearing the same robe that Itachi had been wearing last night.

_It isn't him...the chakra is different_. Sakura knew it wasn't Itachi, but it scared her just how sure she was about that. Sakura trusted him too much and that could be the reason she was in this mess. She slowly looked up from the man's chest to his shoulders, neck, and finally she saw the mask he was wearing.

Sakura took an intake of breath when she saw the Sharingan through the hole in the orange mask.

"Hello, Haruno Sakura," the man said. Sakura's heart stopped because the man's voice sounded exactly like Itachi's.

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><p>In Konohagakure, a young blonde was barely waking up from her well-deserved beauty sleep. She slowly stretched her arms and yawned. She got out of bed and got read for her day. Today she would go and ask Tsunade for lessons on healing. Hinata and her had decided to go today and Sakura was supposed to accompany them. Asuma-sensei had told her it would be a good idea if she, like Sakura, became a medic nin. When she told her friends this, she wasn't surprised that Hinata had also been thinking about it.<p>

Ino smirked as she thought about the expression on Sakura's face. It went from shocked to confused to fake happiness. Ino knew that Sakura had felt special that she was the only one being taught by the Hokage herself. Well, not anymore. Ino wasn't about to let Sakura surpass her.

Once she was ready, she went downstairs, ate a quick breakfast, and went to meet up with Hinata and Sakura. They had agreed to meet at Hinata's house. Why there, Ino had no idea. All of them were scared of Hinata's dad, but she put up no argument when they suggested this place.

It didn't take Ino to long to reach Hinata's house. Since she was so excited she practically ran the whole way. She found Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, and Choji outside of Hinata's house.

"Hey," Ino said, getting the guys' attention since they had been talking about something in whispers. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We have some bad news," Kiba said, a very worried expression on his face. Ino felt instant fear.

"Did something happen to Hinata?" she quickly asked. It was the first thing that came to mind since all of them where right outside the Hyuga's house.

"No," Kiba said quickly, figuring out where Ino got that idea. "We're here to tell her, too."

"Neji is inside telling her right now," Shino added.

"But what happened?" Ino asked, worry evident in her voice.

All of the guys shared looks, knowing very well that the blonde girl would take the news badly no matter how they said it. "Well…" Kiba began but couldn't finish.

"Why don't we tell her," came a voice from their left. All of them turned to see Asuma and Kurenai walking up to them.

"I don't care who says it," Ino screamed, "but someone please tell what is going on!"

"Ino," Asuma said, "Sakura is missing."

"What?"

"A team of jonin were coming back from a mission when they picked up a strong sent," explained Kurenai.

"My mom," Kiba added, "picked up a scent of an Uchiha. They followed it all the way to Sakura's house. And when they went in, Sakura wasn't there. ANBU looked for her everywhere but there is no trace of her."

"They know for sure it wasn't Sasuke, though," Asuma said.

"If not Sasuke then..." Ino couldn't finish her sentence.

"We believe it was Itachi." Kurenai said.

"My mom's dog, Kuromaru, seemed to recognize the scent," Kiba added.

"Sakura was kidnapped by Sasuke's brother?" Ino said, horrified. "Why?"

"That's what we would all like to know," Asuma said.

At that moment, the door to the Hyuga's house opened and Neji came out followed by Tenten. "How's Hinata?" Kurenai asked, worried about her student.

"She fainted when we told her, but she is better now," Tenten answered. Kurenai nodded, having expected this answer.

"Now what do we do?" Ino asked.

"There is nothing we can do," Neji said, putting emphasize on the word "we."

"But we can't just stand here and do nothing," Ino said, angered by the Hyuga's response.

"If Itachi did take her then there is little any of us can do," Asuma told his pupil. "It would be best to stay out of the Anbu's way."

Ino looked down at the floor. Asuma-sensei was right. There was very little she could do to help. Ino couldn't believe that her friend was at the mercy of that demon. He did so much harm to Sasuke and now he was going to do the same with Sakura. It wasn't fair. Why did it have to be Sakura? She had already suffered enough with Sasuke leaving, and even Naruto leaving hurt her, though she tried to hide it. She felt so bad for her friend. That evil monster would do anything to her.

Ino felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at her sensei, and just then realized she was crying. Ino quickly wiped away the tears coming from her eyes. "Don't worry, Ino." Asuma said. "We'll find her."

"I know we will," Ino said in a very low voice, though everyone there could hear her. "But how much damage will that monster get to do to Sakura before we do?" Everyone there had been thinking the same thing. But hearing it out loud brought an even more depressed and hopeless feeling to the atmosphere. They all just hoped that Sakura would be found before he got a chance to do anything _too _bad to her_._

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><p>In a forest far away from both the cabin and Konoha, sat Uchiha Itachi. He was looking up into the sky wondering how he was going to be able to escape his partners tonight. It would take him an hour or two to get back to Konoha in time. He would like to say that he was positive that Sakura would be there, but the truth was, he wasn't sure.<p>

Itachi was hoping that the love Sakura felt towards Sasuke would make her go to the clearing that night. Though he knew very well that it could be because of that love that she didn't go. Itachi stood up and hit a nearby tree breaking it in half. He hated not knowing what was going to happen. He had always disliked surprises and wanted to know exactly what to expect at every turn. He let out a big sigh. He knew if he stayed there any longer, the others would start to wonder what he was doing.

Itachi slowly started to walk back to their hide out. Before he had even walked two steps, someone appeared in front of him. Itachi let out another deep sigh and looked up at the kunoichi standing before him. "What is it Konan? I don't have time for your petty problems." He said in a bored tone.

"It's about the girl," Konan said, in a mad tone. Itachi's head snapped up to look at Konan. He was definitely not expecting that. "Tobi," she said the name with disgust and hatred, "kidnapped her." Itachi's eyes widened when he heard that. His mind was in complete turmoil. He didn't understand anything and didn't know what to do. "Itachi?" Konan asked after he didn't say anything for a while. Itachi took in a deep breath and looked for 'Tobi.' But to his horror, Itachi couldn't find him. He didn't sense his chakra anywhere near nor did he sense his mind. This made Itachi even more worried. He looked up at Konan. She nodded her head, knowing what Itachi was going to say before he said it. "Go." she said. "Pain will make an excuse."

Not a second passed after Konan had said that that Itachi vanished. Konan let out a deep sigh. She had known that telling that girl was a bad idea and had been against it the whole time. And she had been right. Itachi's plan hadn't even started and she could already tell it was affecting him. He hadn't even bothered to ask how she knew or when it happened. He was worried about the girl, and with good reason. 'Tobi' was capable of anything. And Konan was even more worried because Itachi had failed to ask the one question she, even with how much she knew the girl was affecting him, had been sure he would ask: Does 'Tobi' know that Sakura had seen him?

Konan let out another deep sigh and looked at where Itachi had been standing. She could only hope that he wouldn't get himself found out cause that wouldn't only mean his end, it would mean the end for her and Pain. And truth be told, she was even worried about Itachi. He had grown on her. And she just hoped that she wouldn't have to morn his death anytime soon.

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><p>"I'm sure your wondering what your doing here, right?" Again, as the man spoke, Sakura heard Itachi's voice. She couldn't help but stare at him, and, for some reason, she realized that she shouldn't recognize Itachi's voice. It would look very odd if she did. But Sakura realized that it never even crossed her mind that it might actually be Itachi. And again that frightened her. It could be Itachi. No one else had the Sharingan, and he was too tall to be Sasuke.<p>

Sakura looked up at the man with shocked eyes. That wasn't true. There was someone else that had the Sharingan and would be around that height. And that man was Uchiha Madara. "Well?" Madara asked. "Aren't you going to say anything?" He had noticed how Sakura had been shocked, troubled, and now shocked again. He wished he knew what the pink haired girl was thinking about.

Sakura noticed that he was studying her and quickly acted the part. "Who are you? Where am I? Why are you doing this to me?" Sakura yelled at him. She had all but forgotten that she should be in extreme pain at that moment. Once she had said all that, she continued to bite her lower lip like she had been. This she didn't have to act. Remembering the injury in her leg made her feel the pain again.

Madara laughed at her. He had forgotten about Sakura's change in mood because of the pained look on her face. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan_. _But I can't answer those questions." Madara had a tone of caring that was so fake it made Sakura want to puke.

Sakura tried very hard not to upset him by spitting in his face for talking to her like that. Sakura-chan? She had never felt more disgusted by how that name sounded. "Let me go!" Sakura screamed.

"Sorry but I can't do that," he said. He studied her for a moment. "Do you know who I am?" Sakura didn't say anything, unsure what she could say without giving anything away. Apparently Madara didn't like her being quiet because when he didn't get an answer he took another kunai out of the pouch and cut Sakura's leg. He did all of this so quickly that Sakura was completely caught of guard and she couldn't help but scream from the pain even thought the cut wasn't too big. She looked back up at Madara. Even though he had a mask on she could tell that he was smiling. "It's rude not to answer someone's question, Sakura-chan," he said. Sakura glared at him but she really didn't need another injury.

"I don't know who you are." And without warning, Madara made another cut on her arm.

"It's also rude to lie. I swear, Sakura-chan, didn't your parents teach you any manners?" He shook his head as if he were disappointed.

"I don't know who you are," Sakura repeated. For that, she received another cut on the opposite arm. But this time Sakura didn't cry out. Though sooner or later her lip would start bleeding from how hard she was biting it.

"Looks like you don't really understand anything do you?" Madara started walking around her in circles. "I'm Uchiha Itachi. The person that caused Sasuke so much pain. The person that killed the entire Uchiha Clan." His tone was so arrogant, but it seemed like he had forgotten something. Sakura was able to hear a slight difference in his voice. Either the jutsu he was using was wearing of or he was just forgetting that he needed to sound like Itachi. But, thankfully, Sakura made no signs of noticing his flaw.

Sakura made her eyes widen when he said that. "You'r-r-r-" She acted as if she couldn't finish that sentence. Sakura knew that he wasn't Itachi, that he was in fact Uchiha Madara. But Sakura couldn't understand why he was acting as if he was. What could he gain from that?

"Yes," he said, "I am Itachi." Sakura could tell that he was happy with Sakura's reaction. He had expected her to be afraid once she found out who he was. Though he was surprised that she didn't figure it out sooner. It should have been obvious once she saw his Sharingan. Probably the girl had been too scared to think at that moment. Yes, that was what happened. There was no need to think further into that subject. All he needed to do know was enjoy the pain that he was about to cause the little girl. He smiled behind his mask. He was definitely going to enjoy this. And he didn't need to worry about someone interrupting them. He had been very careful to use all of the concealing jutsus he could afford without using up too much chakra. "Why don't we start? We, sadly, don't have all the time I wish we had." Sakura didn't understand what he meant. She looked up at him with a confused expression, and she could somehow tell that he was smiling behind his mask.

A shiver ran down Sakura's spine at the thought.

* * *

><p>A quick flash of something would have been what people would have seen if there were any in the forest. To a jonin it would have been the silhouette of a man, and only an ANBU ninja would have been able to distinguish that it was a man with a black cloak with red clouds that covered the man's entire body.<p>

Itachi moved as quickly as he could. Time was not on his side. And it seemed like Madara had gone very far in trying to keep his location a secret. "Damn it," Itachi muttered under his breath. He couldn't believe he had acted so irrationally. There were so many questions he had. Konan could have answered a big percentage of those questions. But he hadn't waited for any information. He had just gone and started looking for her.

But Itachi couldn't go back and ask those questions now. The others would be expecting him to be gone for a couple of days if not weeks. They would become suspicious of why he was back right after he had left. Correction: They would become _more _suspicious than they already were.

Itachi landed on a branch. He looked around him. He didn't feel anything, but he still couldn't be sure that there really wasn't anyone there. He had already checked two towns that Madara might have gone to. Though the only reason he checked them was because they were close by and he didn't waste too much time there.

"Damn it, Madara!" Itachi was pissed, to say the least. He couldn't believe Madara dared go back to Konoha right after Sasuke left. If Sasuke had still been at Konoha, Itachi wouldn't have hesitated to give Madara a piece of his mind, and remind him of the deal they had. And if he had managed to stay alive, he would personally go to Konoha and scream at the Elders for allowing Madara to get that close to Sasuke and Naruto.

Itachi let out a groan of frustration. Sooner or later he would have to talk to the Elders about this. He momentarily wondered if Danzo had had anything to do with this. Itachi's face showed pure hatred and disgust. He hated Danzo and wouldn't be surprised if he had sold him out to Madara. Itachi wished he hadn't needed to tell Danzo about his plan, but he needed to give Sakura all the protection and support he could get.

Itachi let out another deep sigh. He didn't even now what Sakura's answer would have been, yet he was acting like it would have been a yes. Well, he sure hoped it was a yes. She would need to get stronger since she was apparently already a target.

He slowly stood up on the branch and started running through the forest with no clear destination. He was going on a whim. If he felt he should go right, he would go right. If he wanted to go left, he'd go left. He had no idea where they could be so there really was no telling if he had made a mistake or not. He had never been this worried in many years. He wished never to have to feel like this again.

* * *

><p>A loud scream could be heard for a very long distance. Sakura had blood covering the majority of her body. She had cuts; some barely breaking her skin others a lot more deep. She was panting. Sakura couldn't believe the pain she was in. She hoped that if he planned to continue with his torture that he would pity her and end her life right then and there. Sakura also had the kunai deep in her thigh and another shuriken in her right arm. They caused her a lot of pain. Madara kept on walking in circles around her and would purposefully bump into the shuriken in her arm making her scream out in pain. The loud and longer she screamed the more he laughed and made the cuts deeper and longer. Sakura's head was also throbbing because every once in a while he would pull her hair really hard. Sakura was hurting all over her body and didn't know how she was going to be able to withstand much more of this.<p>

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Sakura shuddered every time he said her name. She had developed a strong hate for the suffix chan the past few hours.

"Nothing," she whispered. Madara made a cut on her outer right thigh.

"Don't lie, Sakura-chan," he said. "Why are you screaming?"

"Because it hurts," she answered, not wanting to receive any more cuts or at least not any deep ones.

"What hurts?" He had been doing this many times throughout the last couple of hours. Making her talk when he knew very well that it was very hard for her to do so, especially if she wanted to keep her voice from shaking. He wanted to hear her weak voice because that made him happy. He was sick and demented.

"The cuts," Sakura said.

"Cuts?" Madara said in a shocked tone of voice that he didn't even bother to try and make sound real. "Who would dare give you any injuries?" he was standing right in front of her now. "Such a beautiful girl." Sakura wanted to spit in his face, but she couldn't stand any more pain. She didn't want to risk getting any more injuries. The pain wasn't even letting her think straight. Her breathing was heavy and her vision even a little blurred.

"Why did you take me?" she asked in less than a whisper.

"The reasons to why I took you are the same ones to why I killed the Uchiha Clan," he answered. He leaned in so that his lips were next to Sakura's ear. "To test my abilities," he whispered. A shiver went done Sakura's spine, though she tried to hide it. Madara started laughing. He put his head right in front of hers. "What better way to see how strong I am then to enter the village and have probably all the man power available looking for me?" He paused looking into her eyes. "Your wounds will end up killing you eventually. Right now they are taking away the majority of your energy and their lessening your abilities. You will bleed out if they are not cured. It will be a slow and painful death. Some of the Uchihas probably had better luck than you did. They didn't have to suffer as much as you did." He paused for another moment. He turned his head right and left, like a dog would if was supposedly confused about something. Madara studied her face for a while, staring at her at times.

But Sakura never faltered. She didn't look away from him. She wasn't about to give him the pleasure of showing him that she was scared of him. She knew that he knew just how scared she was but she wouldn't give him any more proof. She had let out of few screams and grunts but those were only because she was caught of guard. Even if they were deep, long cuts she would try and prepare herself for them. And she was satisfied with the results of that. She hadn't shed a tear throughout the entire time and she wasn't about to start now.

After a few minutes, Madara had an evil smile plastered on his face. Though Sakura couldn't see that. Madara quickly cut the ropes that attached her feet to the chair. Then he made her stand up. He threw her on the floor, and Sakura was surprised to land on a mattress. She looked up at Madara and she instantly saw the Sharingan. Sakura fell back on the mattress. For a second, Sakura felt as if she had been knocked out but she quickly became aware of her surroundings again. She couldn't move any part of her body. Sakura started to panic, fearing the worst.

"What are you going to do to me?" Sakura asked. She was surprised to be able to talk and ashamed that she couldn't keep the fear out of her voice. She knew perfectly well that if he did what she thought he was about to do then she really wasn't going to be able to handle that.

"I'm just going to have a little fun."

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><p><strong>Okay, for those more sensitive readers, don't worry. I do not plan to actually describe the rape scene (and if you couldn't figure that out already then! your one of the few innocent souls left on this planet or 2. your an idiot, no offense). I thought about whether I should or not, but I decided against it this when I tried it, it didn't come out to well.<strong>

**So, please review :)**


	4. A Long Week of Torture

**Yes, I know. Another very long wait. But I am going to try something knew in this chapter. I have been reading another Sasusaku fanfic called The Addict by CharlieBrownLover21 and a Ichiruki fanfic Full house by ChOOnyOung17. The Addict is a really good story, though very strong M rating and so is Full House, though without the strong M raring. And in the fanfic there are songs added to them that fit that chapter, so for this chapter I am going to try that out, and you readers better let me know whether you like it or not. Though, I am very disappointed that so few of you review the chapters :((((.**

**Speaking of reviewing the chapters...I'd like to thank nayuta and angel897 for taking the time to put up a review.**

**Anyway, on with the story...**

Chapter 4  
>A Long Week of Torture<br>Song: Snow White Queen by Evanescence

Sakura was lying there, covered in a white sheet that was smeared with blood. Her body was trembling because of the pain she was in and the silent sobs. Sakura's face was covered in tears. She was curled up on her side facing the wall with her hands between her thighs. She had never been in so much pain- both emotional and physical. Sakura had tried to keep the tears from coming; she tried to hold back the screams and the pleas for him to stop. But she couldn't. Even though she knew that by screaming she was doing exactly what he wanted her to do.

Sakura could still feel his hands and lips roaming her body. She shuddered as the thoughts that came pouring into her, no matter how hard she tried to fight them. He had taken off his mask, but he must have put some type of jutsu over her because whenever she would look at his face all she could see was complete darkness and a pair of blood red Sharingan eyes looking at her with lust. Madara had been rough since the beginning and he had torn her clothes. That only added to the pain of his actions. Then he had started talking to her. Telling her to moan for him and spread out more.

_You'll never know the way your words have haunted me  
><em> _I can't believe you'd ask these things of me_

More and more tears started to cover Sakura's face. Her body was trembling harder than before. It had hurt so much when he finally 'did it.' But worst of all was what he whispered into her ears, over and over again:

_You belong to me  
>My snow white queen<em>

Sakura hadn't been able to even remotely hold back any scream of pain or any sob of complete despair. She couldn't remember how many times she asked him to stop. She just wanted it to be over with. His actions and words kept on running through her head. She sobbed harder remembering all the things he said about her. How she had such creamy skin. How she tasted and smelled so good. How she was so beautiful.

With every word Madara told her, she just felt more and more dirty and broken. And Sakura knew that any minute now, he would come back to do it again. He had said so himself when he was done.

**_"Don't think I'm done with you."_**

She just wanted to die right then and there. She couldn't believe what had happened and didn't want to imagine what would happen. And Sakura knew she shouldn't even try to escape because that would just make things worse. Sakura tried to close her eyes and sleep. Her entire body hurt like hell, and she knew that in order to recover she would need to rest. But every time she managed to fall asleep, she could only see memories of what had happened.

_I can't escape the twisted way you think of me_  
><em>I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep.<em>

Sakura dreamed of how Madara had looked when he had broken her hymen. He had laughed when she screamed out in pain, and began to thrust into her very roughly increasing the pain. Sakura knew that that was exactly what he wanted: to make her feel as much pain as humanly possible, without killing her.

Sakura woke up to the sound of the door slamming shut. She didn't move, she didn't even dare open her eyes. Sakura was suddenly pulled roughly by her shoulder so that she was lying on her back. In an instant he was on top of her, in between her legs. Again, Sakura's body went numb and she couldn't move. Her hands, which were previously clutching onto the blanket at her chest, fell to her sides. Madara chuckled at her terrified expression. Sakura couldn't help the tears coming out of her eyes. She moved her head to the side and shut her eyes tight, hoping that it would be over soon enough.

_I'm losing my mind  
>And you just stand there and watch as my world divides<em>

* * *

><p>Itachi had just left another village, and still hadn't found anything. It had been a week since Sakura was kidnapped. A week! For all he knew she could be dead by now. Itachi shuddered at the thought, but told himself that he needed to be realistic. Though that didn't mean he had to stop trying to find her. He needed to find her, and he wasn't about to give up so easily.<p>

Itachi suddenly stopped on a large branch to rest for a while before he began his search again. He wondered what excuse Konan had given the others for his sudden disappearance. But he wasn't too worried about that. This wasn't the first time he had to suddenly leave and they had to make up excuses. And if Sakura decided to help him, they would need to lie more often.

He wondered if Sakura would want to help after what Madara most likely had been putting her through this week. Madara would not go through all that trouble just to have her held captive for a couple of weeks. No, Madara must have a plan. And that plan was probably to torture Sakura as much as possible in the time he had her. And Itachi knew very well that the torture could include rape.

A shiver went down his spine at the thought. Yes, being in Akatsuki, he had had to rape women before. Just because he couldn't show that he actually cared about them. But every single time he had felt repulsed by the act, the simple idea even, and he couldn't understand how other men could find pleasure in that. Itachi also made sure to erase the memory of that night from the women's mind and leave as little evidence of rape as possible.

Sakura, of course, wouldn't be so lucky if Madara decided to rape her. Itachi could only hope that he wouldn't go so far. He clenched his fist just thinking about the pain, whether from rape or not, Sakura must be suffering right now.

Anbu should be looking for her. She was Tsunade's student and he was sure that the Elders would also be pushing them to find her as soon as possible. They were doing what they could, but, sadly, Itachi knew that on their own they wouldn't find her in time. Anbu was of some help-Itachi stayed away from the areas that Anbu were searching in- though their lack of knowledge was probably leading them in a wild goose chase.

Itachi took a quick gulp of water and then stood up from the branch. He let out a deep sigh and started his search once again.

* * *

><p>"Ino!"<p>

Said girl slowly turned around. Tenten was running towards her. Ino felt a tiny bit of hope when she saw her. "Did they find her?" Ino asked as soon as Tenten had caught up to her. Tenten shook her head sadly. Ino was obviously disappointed by her answer. Sakura had been missing for a week now, and Anbu didn't seem to be making any progress.

"But everyone wants to have some sort of meeting today," Tenten informed her.

"A meeting?" Ino asked completely confused. Tenten just nodded her head. "And who is everyone?"

"The Rookie Nine and us," Tenten answered. Ino knew that when she said us she was referring to her team. Ino got very sad as she heard Tenten's response and looked down at the floor. Tenten was about to ask what was wrong, but Ino beat her to it.

"We should probably call it the Rookie Six now, no?" Ino asked looking up at Tenten. She understood what Ino meant, and couldn't even begin to understand how badly she must feel about losing one of her closest friends. She didn't know Sakura that well, but she was still very worried about her. _She must be much worse of,_ Tenten thought.

"No," Tenten answered in a firm voice putting her hands on Ino's shoulders, "we shouldn't because Anbu is going to find Sakura and Naruto will return to the village in three short years and then we will all fight to bring Sasuke back." Ino looked at her with wide eyes. She didn't know Tenten very well and Ino knew that Tenten didn't know them that well either, so it shocked her that she was using the word we and looked so determined about it.

Before she knew it, Ino also had a smile on her face. "Your right, Tenten," Ino said. "Let's go and see what this meeting is all about." And with that the two girls started walking down the street to meet up with their friends.

* * *

><p>Sakura lay in bed trying to sleep but only waking up from the horrible nightmares she would have. She gave up on trying to sleep and just lay there in bed staring at the ceiling. The room smelled of dried up blood, vomit, and...sex. Sakura didn't even notice when the tears started to run down her face, but she didn't even bother to dry them.<p>

Sakura had no idea how long she had been in that room. At times, it all seemed like some jumbled dream. She knew it couldn't be that long of a time, but for her it felt like an eternity. Madara had continued to torture her by slashing her skin with weapons. What was probably the first day, he had stitched up some of her wounds. He hadn't been careful about it, and actually did more damage to her body. He had rapped her so many times that she had lost count. Definitely more than a dozen times, though.

She shuddered thinking about the multiply times he had made her "his". Sakura hadn't been so lucky as to only suffer once or a short amount of time at least. No, each time had been very long, probably an hour or two. And he had put them in different positions, taking advantage of her lifeless body_. _She was grateful that he hadn't made her perform oral sex...yet.

Sakura let out a sob at the thought. He had been so rough with her that she even threw up once. He didn't even care. He just finished then whispered in her ear that it was a good thing he had decided to do it from behind this time. Her entire body hurt from the cuts and bruises. She wondered where she was and if any of the search teams would ever find her.

Once, after the first time he had decided to take her form behind, Sakura had tried to escape. She had made it into what was most likely the living room and was able to see that they were in a cabin in the forest. She was about to run outside, but Madara had caught her. And his punishment made Sakura think it wasn't even worth trying to escape again.

All she wanted was to go home. She wanted to see her friends and family. She wanted the comfort that only a mother's arms could offer. She wanted to be able to smile and laugh. Sakura thought that that would never be possible. If they hadn't found her already then when would they find her? When she was dead?

Sakura closed her eyes and strained her ears to hear anything in the room. She couldn't here anything but she didn't dare move. Sakura just stayed there, covered by the blood stained sheets. If someone were to see them now, they would think that the sheets had originally been the color pink or light red. No one could have guessed that they were once white. Madara hadn't bothered to change the sheets throughout the entire time she was there so every time he did anything to her, the blankets would just absorb the color and the smell.

Sakura trembled when she heard footsteps coming towards the door. Madara entered the room and slammed the door behind him making Sakura shudder.

"Get up!" he barked at her. Other than the first day, Madara never even bothered to use Itachi's voice. Something that Sakura greatly appreciated. Sakura began to slowly get up, but it was a hard task since the new bruises and cuts he had given her were still hurting. Madara seemed to be impatient because he grabbed Sakura's arm and yanked her of the floor. Sakura desperately clutched at the blanket, trying to keep herself covered. Madara laughed at the action. "Why do you even bother with that?" he asked, obviously referring to her clutching the blanket. "I've already seen you naked." He pulled Sakura closer to his body and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "And I most definitely like what I saw." Sakura shivered at the comment and felt nauseous.

Without warning, Madara threw Sakura against the wall. "Get dressed," he ordered, and walked out of the room. Sakura quickly found her clothes and managed to put them on, though it hurt with every movement she made. The clothes didn't cover much, though she was thankful that at least her private parts were covered and she was able to get her bra to some how attach to her body. Sakura had only been using the blanket as any form of cover up for the whole time there. Her head spun, most likely from lack of nourishment.

She was able to dress within five minutes, and that's just because she fought through the pain thanks to the fear she was feeling that Madara might come in before she was done dressing. Sakura dropped to the floor exhausted by the simple act of putting on her clothes.

She only had to wait another minute before Madara came back into the room. He quickly crossed the room and pulled Sakura up harshly by her elbow. He dragged her out of the room and through a dark hallway. It only took them a couple of seconds before they came to the living room. Madara didn't even hesitate, and he quickly left the cabin.

Sakura tried not to scream out from the pain that Madara's vice like grip on her arm was causing her. She thought that Madara looked edgy and paranoid. He had a very quick pace and it was almost a good thing that Madara was all but dragging her along because if he hadn't Sakura was sure that she would have collapsed from the pain in her legs.

She looked around but found nothing familiar. That meant that even if she had the strength to escape from him, she would have no idea where to go. She could be a couple of miles away from familiar territory or days away. Sakura would just have to follow Madara, who had gotten them very far away from the cabin they had been in. Sakura was almost positive that she would never see that cabin ever again. But that could also mean that Madara was just changing locations because Anbu had been close to discovering them. So, she had just lost hope of being found.

They had now been walking for close to an hour, and Sakura was on the verge of collapsing. Her injuries, and the fact that she had only eaten what was probably three pieces of bread everyday, were hurting like hell right now but she couldn't lose consciousness. She had to stay awake and try and figure out where the hell they were going.

Madara suddenly stopped and Sakura bumped into him. She tried to take a few steps back but Madara wrapped his arms around her, closing the distance between them. "I really wished I had more time to enjoy your company," Madara told her. Sakura was tired of having to bite her tongue every time he made a comment like that.

"Trust me," she said, "the feeling isn't mutual. I want nothing else except to get as far away from you as possible. Your the devil himself, and wouldn't know how to please a wo-"

Madara punched her in the face and Sakura went flying backwards and hit a tree. She collapsed onto the floor and when she looked back up, Madara was gone.

"You'll regret having messed with an Uchiha," Madara's voice could be heard from somewhere but Sakura couldn't tell where. She suddenly felt something wet drop on her head. She looked up and noticed that it was raining. The rain made all the cuts on her body burn with pain. She couldn't believe her luck. Not only was it likely that she would bleed to death, now it was likely that she might die of pneumonia or something too.

Sakura leaned against the tree and hoped that someone would find her. For some reason she thought of one person that she had unconsciously given all her hope to throughout the entire ordeal.

"Itachi..."

* * *

><p>Itachi stopped dead in his tracks and was barely able to land on a branch. He had finally found what he was looking for. He finally sensed her! She was alive. A wave of relief over took his body. It was a miracle that she was still alive, he had to admit it. Madara was with her, though. And Sakura seemed very weak.<p>

Itachi didn't waste another minute. He took of at full speed after the two of them. It would take him an hour or so to catch up to them at his speed. He just hoped that he would get there before Madara did anything else to her. Like kill her. It was very likely that Madara had finally taken her out of where ever it was that he had been hiding her to kill her and leave her body in the middle of the forest where it was less likely someone would find her.

A couple of Anbu had already been close to finding him two days ago because of his carelessness. Though it was thanks to them that Itachi was able to find out that Konoha believed he was the one that had kidnapped Sakura. Madara was probably making her believe that it was him as well. He could only hope that Sakura wouldn't believe that. But he didn't blame the village for thinking it was him. What other Uchiha is alive in their eyes, right?

It had been exactly an hour since he had felt Sakura's presence. It was pouring down on him, and most likely Sakura. He was close. Just a few more meters and he would finally reach her.

Itachi landed on the floor and what he saw in front of him made his heart clench. Sakura was lying down against a tree. She was covered in blood and bruises. Her clothes were ripped and torn barely even covering her. Itachi clenched his fist. That bastard had raped her. Her body was trembling from the cold. Itachi noticed that some of her cuts were still bleeding. He took a few steps towards her, slowly so that she wouldn't be frightened.

Sakura slowly started to wake up. She sensed someone else near her and quickly jerked her head up to see who it was. Her eyes widened when she saw Itachi. Said guy quickly stopped in his tracks and put his hands up, showing her he meant no harm. "Don't worry," he whispered, trying not to scare her. "It's me." Sakura looked at him not completely convinced that it was him or not. Itachi noticed that she was hesitating. He activated his Sharingan knowing that Sakura must have noticed some difference between his and Madara's.

Itachi was right. As soon as Sakura saw that it was a different Sharingan then the one she had seen all that time, she found the strength to jump up from the ground and wrap her arms around Itachi's waist. Itachi at first was shocked by the action, but quickly hugged her back, happy that she was okay.

"I'm so relieved you came," Sakura said. She wasn't crying. She no longer had any reason to cry. She was safe. She felt so protected in Itachi's arms.

"Forgive me for not coming sooner," he whispered into her hair. He gently pushed her away and removed his cloak. He then wrapped the cloak around Sakura who gave him a grateful smile. Then Itachi picked her up bridal style. This surprised Sakura and she even blushed at the action. Itachi noticed her blush and was happy to see that she hadn't lost her innocent ways. "Let's find some shelter," he told her. Sakura nodded her head and relaxed into Itachi's arms.

"Can I still give you my answer even though I didn't make it to our meeting?" Sakura asked, fighting back sleep.

"Of course," Itachi answered, becoming a little nervous to what her answer might be.

"Let's just say I would have gone to the meeting if I had a choice," Sakura said and closed her eyes. Itachi smiled down at her and didn't say anything else so that she could sleep.

And for the first time in a week, Sakura was able to sleep without any nightmares...

But that wasn't going to be able to last long.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I guess I described the rape scene more than I had expected to. Still hope you guys like it. And I'm having trouble deciding to keep Itachi nice and gentle or make him a bit more cold. Not like Sasuke or how he is supposed to be, but I get the feeling that for someone who has suffered so much he is too nice. But, I don't know. Let me know what you think, please! So that means...<strong>

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**I'll try to update soon.**


	5. You're My Plan B

**I think this is my quickest update :) You guys would have gotten it sooner in the day but I had to cook dinner today so that slowed me down. And my parents have suddenly wanted me to spend more quality time with them so that took out another two hours. But I worked through the night but sadly couldn't get it to you guys within one day. Technically it took me two days since its 12:50 right now.**

**But because it was so late at night, about half way through this chapter I thought about stopping and finishing tomorrow (which I probably wouldn't have done) so I decided to check if I had any review, even just one. And when I checked I did have one review!**

**So, I dedicate this chapter to midnight03 (wow, it actually is midnight, hahaha) and its thanks to him/her that you guys are able to enjoy this chapter a couple of weeks early (I'm a huge procrastinator). Well thank you for the lovely review midnight03. Pretty suckish chapter to dedicate to you but either way I hope you all enjoy it!**

**P.S. since no one has commented so for on the song thing, I'm just going to continue to use it if I can find a song to fit the chapter.**

Chapter 5  
>You're My Plan B<br>Song: Hero by Nickelback

Sakura sat on the floor of a small cave Itachi had found. She stared at the fire burning in the middle, and hugged herself trying to get warm. She still had Itachi's cloak around her but it was soaked so that didn't offer too much warmth. Sakura looked up from the fire to watch Itachi. He was rummaging through his bag looking for something to eat. He finally took out some instant noodles and put some water to boil above the fire.

Once he was done, he looked over at Sakura. "How are you feeling?" he asked her, after some hesitation.

"Better," she answered barely above a whisper. Itachi had stitched up some of her cuts. He was actually very good at it, and she honestly did feel better. She was tired but didn't want to waste the time she had with Itachi. She had given him her answer so now she needed some answers. "So," Sakura began, getting Itachi's attention, "what exactly did I just agree to?"

Itachi looked at her with a serious expression before he answered her. "Before I tell you that, and I will tell you," he added once he saw that she was about to argue. "There is something very important that you need to now."

"What is it?" Sakura asked, a little confused.

"There is a special ability that I have barely discovered, but probably very few people have it. I know of no one else who has this ability but I believe you do," he told her, taking his time to find the right words to explain it to her with.

"And this ability is..." Sakura said, moving her hands in a gesture for him to continue.

"Mind reading," Itachi told her.

"You can read other people's minds," Sakura asked, completely surprised by what he had told her.

"Yes, I can," Itachi answered, fighting back a smirk at the shocked expression on her face.

"How?"

"I have no idea how I was able to obtain this ability," Itachi began. "One day I suddenly started to hear thoughts of people. After some practice I was able to perfect my ability and increase the distance that I can read one's mind. This will of course come in handy as a form of communication once you get back to the village."

"But what if I don't have that ability," Sakura asked, a little worried.

"We will still be able to communicate by me simple putting my thoughts inside your head."

"So, you can read anyone's mind at any time?"

Itachi chuckled at her worried expressions. "I have some morals," Itachi said, smiling at her to let her know he was joking. Sakura gave him a weak smile, again feeling instantly comfortable with his company. The past week was beginning to seem like a distant nightmare. "Unless I believe it could be useful in a fight or I have strong reasons to suspect of a person, I won't read their minds."

"That's good to know," Sakura mumbled, but noticed that Itachi's smile grew. "Anything else you can do? Move objects? Control people's minds?"

"I doubt this ability allows us to move objects. But I also wouldn't rule out telekinesis all together. I don't know if all mind readers have the same limitations and abilities and one only requires practice to obtain all of the different levels or if each individual has a different limit and different amounts of abilities. But I can control people's minds, though I am still barely getting the hang of it." Itachi took the boiling water away from the fire and started to pour it into the bowls. "Yet again, I also don't know if anyone else has this ability."

"Though, if other people did have that ability," Sakura said, deep in thought, "then it would be an either you have it or you don't type of thing, right?"

"Yes, I agree with you," Itachi said, pleased that Sakura was understanding what he told her and thinking about it.

"So, how do we find out if I can use this technique?" she asked.

"I have no idea," Itachi stated so bluntly that Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Which is why we are not going to do anything now, and just wait for you to recover."

"And for you to think of something," Sakura added smiling at him.

"Yes, that too," he mumbled grabbing his soup and starting to eat. Sakura did the same, and though she was starving, she ate her food slowly so she wouldn't have an upset stomach later on. "Another thing I need to tell you," Itachi said as he finished his first bite of noodles. "The Elders would like to have a meeting with you every few days, from now on."

"What for?" she asked, a little worried.

"I'm guessing that right now, the three of you will have nothing to talk about but later on you will probably discuss missions and intelligence," he simply stated, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Sakura worried that she would make a fool of herself during those meetings.

"Will you be at those meetings?" she asked without even thinking it. Sakura knew that she would feel much more comfortable and less nervous around the Elders if Itachi was with her. Itachi noticed that she was worried about being with the Elders and decided to help her feel better about them. They weren't as nice as the Third was but they weren't as bad as Danzo.

"Sakura, I know that it must be nerve wracking for you to have to talk to the Elders on a relatively daily basis, but you will need to put your fears aside, and even your manners at some point, in order to form a strong bond between the three of you," Itachi began to explain, looking Sakura right in the eye. "I'm not always going to be in the village, and I am most definitely not always going to be the good guy, so it would be nice if you can form some kind of trust between you and the Elders because when I'm gone they are going to be the only ones that know what your going through and how you feel. They are going to be the only ones there for you."

Sakura paid close attention to everything Itachi told her and once he was done talking she looked at the floor. Yes, she did feel nervous about having to get to know the Elders just for the simple fact that they were the elders of the village and people she never would have dreamed that she would have to deal with everyday.

"I know they must seem very cold and intimidating, but I'm sure they will grow to think a lot of you. And you should grow to at least trust them," Itachi continued, when he saw Sakura still seemed dubious about the whole thing. She looked back up at Itachi and even though she still wasn't too convinced she smiled at him.

"I'll try," Sakura said.

"And that is all I will ever ask of you," Itachi said. "And as for what I said about me not always being the good guy, I was very serious. Throughout the next few years I will most likely make decisions that you do not agree with or do not like and I will tell you now that I will still make those decisions even if it means hurting you. Maybe not physically, but emotionally. I told Sasuke this a couple of days before I left, and I meant it and I will tell you this now: Shinobi are always hated, that's no surprise. Even if you hate me, I will always be there for you."

Sakura looked at Itachi and she could clearly see the sadness in his eyes. Sakura was very touched by his words and the fact that he seemed to care for her. She wanted to ask a question but she didn't think there was enough confidence between them for her to ask him something so personal. Itachi noticed that Sakura was fidgeting with her fingers and didn't need to read her mind to know that she wanted to ask him something.

"Sakura," Itachi called to her, and she quickly looked up at him, "in the next three years or so we will have many missions and you will need to risk your life on various occasions. If your willing to do that to help me, then I should be more than willing to answer some questions."

"Well," Sakura started, still hesitating and glancing at the floor then at Itachi. Itachi's warm and encouraging look gave Sakura the confidence to ask. "Do you regret...doing what you did?"

"Let's be frank, Sakura," Itachi said, having noticed Sakura hesitate at the end of her question. "I killed the entire Uchiha Clan and I'm fine with you saying so."

"Okay," Sakura said, giving Itachi a small smile. "Do you regret having killed the Uchiha Clan?"

"I would have preferred that the Uchiha Clan would have decided to negotiate with The Third, but I don't regret doing it because it helped all of you," he said as he pointed at Sakura, "grow up in a secure home and enjoy your childhood. I feel bad that I had to take that away from Sasuke and I made the decision to sacrifice something that wasn't mine to give."

"But you did it for Sasuke," Sakura said in a firm voice. "If the Uchiha's had been able to complete their goal, then Sasuke would have lost his childhood either way. And not only him but all of the other children from the village. I'm not saying that the other children's childhood were worth more than Sasuke's but I am saying that you did it for the greater good, and yours truly was for the greater good."

"I'm glad you think that way," Itachi told her with a smile. Silence over took them as they ate their meal. Sakura noticed that the silence wasn't uncomfortable or anything like that. She enjoyed just having Itachi near her and being able to finally feel the security that she had missed for that last week.

Once they had finished their meal, Sakura moved over to the closest wall so she could lean against it. Itachi sat next to her after he had checked the fire. They stared at the fire for a couple of minutes before Itachi broke the silence.

"Are you tired?" he asked her.

"Yes," Sakura answered, "but I'm not sleepy."

"Good," Itachi stated. Sakura looked over at him. "What I need your help in is...simple in an overall look, but more complicated once we get into the finer details."

"Well," Sakura said, "start with the main idea, and then you can explain the details when I need to know them."

"Alright," Itachi said, glad she understood that things could change with time. "Mainly, I will train you to become an even better ninja then you would have with only Tsunade's training. Occasionally I'll probably need you to gather some intelligence from the village but I'll teach you espionage later on. Have you heard of Akatsuki?" Sakura shook her head. "Well, it's the group I belong to," he said as he pointed a finger at the cloak Sakura was wearing. "Some other time I'll explain it's purpose, but the 'leader' of the group and his partner are our allies. You'll meet them soon." Sakura nodded at Itachi, telling him to move on.

"Roots, which is Danzo's group of Anbu, will know of the pact we have and will watch over you if we notice that Madara's interest in you continues… But in all, at the end of the three years, all I need you to do is to try and make sure Sasuke never finds out the truth. I will take ever precaution I can to help but...I feel that Madara must have more tricks up his sleeve and will end up telling Sasuke." He looked over at Sakura with a serious expression on his face. "And that's were you come in. If Sasuke ever finds out the truth, he won't want to follow in my foot steps," Itachi said sarcastically. "He'll want revenge, and I will need you to stop him. If the truth comes out, Sasuke will be Madara's puppet and a Fourth Shinobi World War would begin."

"Making your sacrifice in vain," Sakura mumbled.

"That's one way to look at it," Itachi agreed.

"I doubt you want me to kill Sasuke, right?"

"Of course not," Itachi quickly responded. "I want someone strong enough there that knows the situation well so that it doesn't come to that." Sakura nodded her head thinking about what he was telling her. "I hope that that will never happen. That Sasuke never finds out the truth, but I need to be realistic and prepare for what might happen." Itachi looked over at Sakura. "In short, your my Plan B," he stated.

Sakura nodded her head in agreement understanding the majority of what Itachi was planning. She knew that other people would see this as Itachi just using her like a pawn in a chest game but that was exactly what the village did to him, so she couldn't complain. "So, when do we start my training?" she asked Itachi.

Itachi tried to fight back a smile at her eagerness. "As soon as you recover," he responded. Hearing Itachi's words Sakura suddenly felt all of the pain that her injuries were causing her and her fatigue. She made the mistake of closing her eyelids for a second to many and she suddenly found it very hard to be able to keep her eyes open. Itachi noticed that and his lips formed a big smile. "Sleep," he told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her to his chest. Sakura snuggled up against him and closed her eyes feeling a lot warmer as she hugged Itachi. "Don't worry. I won't let anything hurt you," he whispered into her hair. Sakura instantly fell asleep and Itachi followed soon after.

* * *

><p>Ino sat in her bed unable to sleep. All day she hadn't been able to stop thinking about that stupid meeting she went to. Ino closed her eyes and remembered what had happened that afternoon.<p>

**Flashback**

_Ino and Tenten walked into a clearing and Ino recognized it as the training grounds Sakura had told her she first went to train with Kakashi. She noticed everyone else was in a semi-circle around the three tree trunks. Shikamaru and Choji were sitting on the first two trunks while Kiba was leaning against the third one with Akamaru on his head. In front of Shikamaru were Shino and Hinata. Neji and Lee were over near Kiba. None of them were talking and Ino started to worry when she noticed that Kiba and Choji had serious expressions on their faces._

_Once they reached them, Ino stood next to Hinata. "So," she asked everyone there, "what is this little meeting about?"_

_"It's abut how we need to stop lying to ourselves and finally start acting like ninjas," Neji responded her._

_"What are you talking about, Hyuga?" Kiba asked a little suspicious._

_"I mean that we aren't kids anymore and we need to face the cold, hard facts," he said in a very firm voice._

_"And those would be?" Kiba asked._

_"They would be the facts that Naruto has the Demon Fox's spirit inside of him and many powerful people want to capture him or kill him; Sasuke betrayed us to gain power, almost got Lee, Choji, you, Akamaru, myself, and Naruto killed, and that in less than three years Orochimaru will kill him to use his body as a host; and that the probability that Sakura is dead thanks to Sasuke's older brother is very high!" Neji told all of his fellow comrades. He had made the decision to hold this meeting because he knew that all of them there cared greatly about at least one of the people in Team 7. And they needed to figure out what to do._

**_How can that be  
>Look what love gave us<em>**_  
><strong>A world full of killing <strong>  
><strong>And blood spilling<strong>_

_"We all know that," Kiba growled at Neji as he stood up straight. "So why the hell did you have to tell us all of that? Did you want to hurt us or something?" he said has he lifted his arm up in the direction of the girls. Ino had tears in her eyes but was able to hold them back and Hinata had her head facing the ground and was trembling as she tried to wipe away the tears on her face._

_"Of course not," Neji yelled back, upset that Kiba would say he wanted to hurt his cousin. "But this is the truth and we need to figure out what to do."_

_"What the hell do you mean we ne-"_

_"Isn't it obvious," Shikamaru cut Kiba off. "We use the three years of time to our advantage. We train. Both our bodies and our minds. We help each other get stronger and we find out more information on our friends' enemies. So that when the three years are up, we can help them fight off who ever dares threaten them."_

_Everyone looked shocked at Shikamaru, even Neji. Neji had thought up of the same thing but he hadn't expected Shikamaru of all people to say it. The one that was always saying things were too troublesome and not wanting to do anything all the time._

_"Yeah, I know," Shikamaru told all of his friends. " This isn't like me. But I don't know about you guys, but I am honestly fucking tired of having to have my ass saved by others. And having to watch Naruto and Sasuke be the center of attention. Yes, they are the center of attention again, but next time I'm going to be ready to take away some of that attention." Again, everyone was to stunned to speak. Slowly, a smirk formed on Kiba's lips. He walked over to Shikamaru and swung his arm around his shoulder._

**_And they say that a hero could save us_**_  
><strong>I'm not going to stand here and wait<strong>_

_"Now I don't now what the hell got into you and I honestly don't care. But that's what I call a pep talk," Kiba said with a stupid smirk on his face. Everyone stared for a few more seconds then they all burst out laughing- except for Neji and Shino, who just nodded in agreement. "So it's decided, right?" Kiba asked. "From now on, we all have each others' back, and that includes Team 7's. We'll get stronger and then help out our friends when the time comes. Cause like it or not we are going to get dragged into this whole mess one way or another, so we might as well have each other for support. Am I right or am I right?" Kiba screamed out in delight. Everyone who had been laughing fist pumped in the air._

_"Then it's decided," Shikamaru said, stretching out his right arm in front of him. Kiba moved his arm from the back of Shikamaru's shoulder and put his hand on top of Shikamaru's. Everyone else went over to them and followed in their actions._

_"For our comrades," Kiba screamed and they all lifted their hands up into the air._

**End of Flashback**

A small smile spread across Ino's face as she remembered the look of determination on her friends' faces. She had been so happy that they had all decided to support Naruto**,** and even Sasuke. She wished Sakura would hurry up and get back to the village so that they could all be together. Well, not _all_ of them, but it was as close to complete as they were going to get for a while.

Ino lay back down in bed, and fell a sleep with a smile on her face. Something told her that things were going to get better.

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up to Itachi shaking her and calling her name. She looked up at Itachi and noticed that he looked a little worried. Fear helped her wake up completely. "What's wrong?" she asked barely above a whisper.<p>

"A group of Anbu are close by," Itachi whispered. "I'm going to leave and then I'll making them come and look for you over here. They already believe that I kidnapped you so don't tell them it wasn't me; just say your not sure or something. The Elders will help you figure something out. You can tell them the truth about everything else, though."

"Wait," Sakura said, worry clear in her voice.

"Don't worry," he said, "I'll be with you in here." He poked Sakura's forehead with his index and middle finger. Sakura just nodded her head in understanding. Itachi took the cloak off of her and put it back on. He kissed her on the forehand exactly where he had poked her then stood up. "Let's see how good your acting skills are," he told her before he disappeared.

Sakura waited a couple of minutes, mentally preparing herself and trying to figure out how she should act. It only took them a few more minutes before five Anbu appeared at the entrance of the cave. Sakura didn't have to act surprised since they came out of nowhere.

"Are you Sakura Haruno?" the Anbu in the middle asked her. Sakura nodded her head. One of the Anbu, who was obviously a woman, stepped forward, stretching out her hand towards Sakura.

"Don't worry," she said, in a low voice. "You're safe now." Sakura hesitated for a couple of seconds then slowly took the woman's hand. Another Anbu wrapped a blanket around her and she made sure to jerk away at his action.

"It's okay we aren't going to hurt you," he said holding up his hands. The other two Anbu were putting out the small fire. Sakura just wrapped the blanket around herself and tried her hardest not to collapse on the floor.

"May I carry you?" a young voice asked her from behind. Sakura trembled at the sound of his voice but nodded her head. Without wasting another minute, the Anbu picked her up bridal style. "Send word to Konoha that we found her," he told the woman. She nodded and summoned a messenger hawk. After quickly scribbling down the message the five Anbu began to move through the forest.

_"Very well done,"_ Sakura heard Itachi's voice in her head.

_"Thanks,"_ she thought.

_"Rest, you'll be back home soon,"_ he told her. And Sakura had no trouble obeying him.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I hope you liked it and I hope I have time to update soon. And for any of you that like soccer, I can't wait to watch the match between Peru and Venezuela tomorrow...today? I don't know. Go Venezuela! And go Uruguay in the finals Sunday!<strong>

**Anyway, please review. Because as you just saw. Reviews get you faster updates.**


	6. Coming Back To Hell!

**Fastest update I'm probably ever going to get. Two updates in one day, which kinda means that the people who have already read the last chapter will think that there is no new update...well, I hope that doesn't happen.**

**Anyway, enjoy the longest chapter so far :D**

Chapter 6  
>Coming Back...To Hell!?<p>

Sakura slowly woke up and found herself in a hospital bed. When she tried to sit up her head hurt and her vision blurred. She must have been asleep for a long time. She didn't remember anything about the trip back but she realized she was in a Konoha hospital. An IV was stuck to her right arm and she noticed that a lot of the cuts she had had were now healed. She wondered how long she had been asleep.

_"Finally awake, sleepyhead,"_ a voice inside her head told her. She was shocked for about two seconds before she remembered what had happened and recognized the voice.

_"How long was I out?"_ she thought.

_"A day and a half,"_ Itachi calmly responded her_. "No one knows your back in the village yet. Anbu wanted to make sure that nobody had anything to do with your disappearance and they wanted to get all of the information out of you before your friends and family wouldn't let them talk to you."_

_"Not to mention I wasn't exactly in good conditions to be seen,"_ Sakura thought, referring to her torn up clothes and blood-covered body.

_"Right,"_ she heard Itachi say. But Sakura knew something was wrong instantly. The answer seemed strained for some reason.

_"Anything I should know?"_ Sakura asked.

_"Well,"_ Itachi began, but the door opening made him stop.

"Sakura," Shizune screamed in happiness when she saw that she was awake. "Your finally awake. How are you feeling?" she asked as she rushed over to Sakura and gave her a big hug. Sakura didn't hesitate to return the hug and was surprised that her body didn't hurt from the pressure Shizune was putting into the hug.

"I'm feeling a lot better than I used to," Sakura said. "I'm so happy to be back."

"And we're happy to have you back," Shizune said, but the smile on her face slowly disappeared. "Anbu wants you to retell them everything you went through," Shizune said in a low voice giving her a sympathetic look. "I can call them now or I could tell them you're still not up to it."

"No," Sakura said giving her a small smile. "I think I'd rather just get this over with." Shizune nodded her head understanding her.

"I'll go and call them in, then," Shizune said as she quickly left the room.

_"So exactly what's wrong?"_ Sakura hurriedly thought. _"Just give me the main idea,"_ she added.

_"I have reason to believe that Orochimaru and Madara are working together,"_ Itachi quickly answered.

"What!" Sakura hissed out loud.

_"Careful now,"_ Itachi warned her._ "We don't need people thinking your crazy."_

_"Shut up,"_ Sakura yelled, inside her head this time._ "But why do you think that?"_

_"There-"_

Again the door opening making Itachi stop, and Sakura had to suppress a groan of annoyance. Though it turned into a small scowl as she heard Itachi chuckle inside her head. She was mad he was reading her thoughts-

_"Sorry, I'll stop,"_ Itachi said.

_"No,"_ Sakura screamed. _"Please stay. I don't think I'll be able to tell them everything if your not here with me."_

_"Alright, I'll stay,"_ Itachi responded.

"Sakura," Tsunade called out to her. "It's good to have you back," she said giving her a warm smile. "I know you probably need to rest but Anbu really need to get your testimony to be able to investigate." Sakura nodded her head understanding. She looked over at the Anbu, and realized it was the woman who had been with the rescue team. Sakura let out a small sigh of relief that it was a woman and not a man.

"Tell me everything that happened," the Anbu lady told her. "Starting from the night he took you."

"Okay," Sakura responded and took in a deep breath. As she tried to remember the incident, she found it difficult. It was like trying to remember a dream. One could remember what it was about and how she had felt in it, but the details were vague. Sakura wasn't sure what to think of this. She hesitated a moment longer before finally getting herself together and started recounting the events.

Two long hours later, the female Anbu was finally satisfied with all of Sakura's answers and left the room. Once she was gone, Sakura looked over at Tsunade and Shizune, who had been quietly listening to Sakura's story. They both had very sad looks on their faces. The female had asked her to go in great detail about everything. Sakura could barely stomach it. Itachi had to use his ability to make her emotionally disconnected so that she could finish telling her story without vomiting every minute. Though it surprised Sakura that she never once felt like crying. It wasn't that she was trying to be strong or that she was just holding back the tears. Sakura just never felt the need to cry, something she was thankful for.

_"You did a very good job,"_ Itachi told her.

_"Thanks to you,"_ she thought.

"Sakura, I'll need to change your bandages and check on your stitches," Tsunade informed her. Sakura nodded her head, and they spent another good hour just checking up on her. After they were finished, Shizune brought the three of them dinner. Sakura was happily eating her rice and dumplings, and just enjoying the small talk Shizune and Tsunade were offering her. Sakura was glad that they weren't dwelling on what happened to her.

"When can I go home?" Sakura asked looking hopefully at the two women in front of her.

"Later tonight," Shizune told her. Sakura smiled up at them, happy with that answer. "Though, tomorrow all of your friends will be notified of your return. Tonight you should just rest. You only have a few small unhealed cuts and bruises but you've been through a lot and the best thing is for you to stay in bed for a couple of days." Sakura nodded and decided she would try to convince them against something like that later. She just wanted to get home and be in a familiar setting.

"Everyone has been very worried about you," Tsunade said as she finished her meal. "You can probably expect a lot of presents and flowers sent to your house early next morning."

"I don't care if I don't get anything," Sakura said, smiling. "All I want is to see my friends and family again."

"And you will," Shizune said, picking up all of the empty plates. "Once you have a good nights sleep."

"But I already slept like for entire day, didn't I?" Sakura quickly added the last part, remembering that none of them had told her how long she was out of it for.

"Yes, you have," Tsunade answered, not noticing Sakura's mini panic attack or the sigh of relief she let out at her answer, "but you were severely injured so it is best that you take a few days off of training to get better." They seemed to be very persistent with the getting rest thing.

"I will," Sakura mumbled. A day or two couldn't hurt, right?

"Good," Tsunade said, standing up from her seat.

"Here, Sakura," Shizune said, giving her a pair of clothes to change into. Tsunade moved over to her and took out the IV that had been attached to her arm. "We'll wait for you outside," she said as she walked towards the door with Tsunade following her.

"Let us now if you need any help," Tsunade told her before she left the room.

"Thanks," Sakura called out to them. _"So, what did you see or hear?"_ she quickly asked Itachi.

_"One of my informants says he saw a man with the same orange mask you described go into one of Orochimaru's hide outs,"_ Itachi explained.

_"When?"_ Sakura asked, out of bed and slowly getting undressed.

_"The same day I found you,"_ Itachi told her. Sakura noticed that this worried Itachi and it worried her too_. "Though, my informant doesn't know whether Orochimaru was currently there when Madara went there, so it could be nothing."_

_"You don't believe that, do you?"_ Sakura asked feeling Itachi's doubt.

_"All I know is that you should be careful,"_ Itachi answered.

_"I'll take that as a yes, you don't believe that,"_ Sakura said. _"And whatever happened to the trust and frankness thing, ugh?"_ Sakura asked with a smirk playing on her face. Itachi tried to fight back a chuckle.

_"Your right. I don't believe that. Those two are planning something,"_ Itachi said.

_"Against me?"_ Sakura asked as she finished dressing.

_"Possibly,"_ Itachi said,_ "which is why I'll be at your house tonight. Try and get your parents not to sleep in your room."_

_"No problem,"_ she said as she opened the door. Tsunade and Shizune were waiting for her. Once she came out they made their way towards the exit. Sakura was able to sneak a glance at a clock on the wall and noticed that it was 10:30 P.M. Pretty late so no one should be out. After only about thirty minutes of walking and chatting about random things, Sakura finally found herself on the all too familiar street.

As soon as she stepped onto the street, she again felt a familiar feeling. She had been so happy to finally be back home, but now she felt fear. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and that feeling she was having was the same one she had, but didn't notice, right before Madara took her. Sakura didn't hesitate in her steps, even though the closer she got to her house, the stronger that feeling got. _"Itachi?"_ she thought, but didn't get any response. That couldn't be good. Something was definitely not right.

But Sakura could see nothing wrong. Everything was fine and Tsunade and Shizune didn't seem to notice anything strange. Sakura just told herself that she was being paranoid. In a minute they were in front of Sakura's house and Sakura's mother was hugging her. Sakura hugged her back and told her that she was fine and happy to be back. After a few minutes her mother finally let her go. Shizune and Tsunade said their good byes and left.

Sakura's mother led her back into the house. "Where were you all this time? Was it really Uchiha Itachi who kidnapped you?" her mother kept asking not even giving Sakura a chance to answer any of the questions.

Sakura's father, who had brown hair and eyes, scuffed at his wife's last question. "Of course it was that damn Uchiha," Sakura's father said. "All he and the rest of the Uchiha Clan have ever done is bring misfortune to our family."

"Don't talk about them like that!" Sakura screamed at her father before she could contain herself.

"I know you had a crush on that Sasuke kid, but it's about time that you got over him and started looking at things the way they are," her father barked at her, pointing an accusing finger in her direction. Sakura loved her parents, but they always hated the Uchiha's with a passion that never ceased to surprise her. It was like they knew what had really happened, but then they wouldn't talk so badly about Itachi if they knew what he did for the sake of the village. Her father would always insult Itachi and her mother would just nod her head in agreement. She never did know where this hatred that her entire family had towards the Uchiha's came from.

"Dad," Sakura said in a stern voice. This wasn't the first time her father had talked badly about Sasuke, but it always made her blood boil when he did. "I've asked you before to refrain from insulting the Uchihas in my presence," Sakura told him through clenched teeth. She had been gone for a week! She could have been dead! And instead of bending to her every will, he decided to piss her off as soon as she was inside the house. Yes, Sakura knew painfully well that her father never cared about her that much and he openly talked about how things would be so much better if Sakura had been a boy. But to not even be happy that she was back home, safe and sound, was kind of pushing it.

"I'm only saying the truth," her father responded, taking a seat at the dinning room table and raising his cup of tea to his lips. Sakura was furious and that did nothing for her nerves. Something in the air smelled odd. It wasn't a repugnant sent nor was it alluring. Sakura felt dizzy for a moment but quickly attributed it to fatigue.

Once her father had taken a sip he kept the cup in the air and opened his mouth to say something, but then froze. His eyes widened in fear and he kept staring at something above her head. Sakura's mother came in from the kitchen door that was behind her father and she dropped the tray of cookies and tea she had being holding. Her hands went to quickly cover her mouth and tears started falling form her cheeks.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds, and Sakura, who had been to preoccupied with the conversation she was having with her father and the sudden bout of vertigo to notice anything in her surroundings, was completely confused by their behavior. Then she felt it: a very familiar chakra behind her. She spun around on her heels and took a few steps back.

Right in front of her stood none other than Orochimaru himself. He wasn't the same as she had seen him before. He had medium length gray hair and most of his face was covered in bandages except his right eye. That's one way how Sakura realized it was him. His right eye was still the same as he looked when they met in the Forest of Death. Not to mention Sakura would never be able to forget that strong, dark chakra, the one that made her collapse from fear just by looking at him.

"Orochimaru," Sakura said in a whisper. This couldn't be possible. There was no way Orochimaru could possibly be inside her house at that moment. Her vision faltered for a second, and Sakura feared she might faint. Luckily, Sakura quickly recovered and focused her attention on the Sanin. She could tell that he was smirking beneath those bandages.

"I'm honored that you remember me," he said, and his voice sounded like it had that night. A shiver of fear ran down Sakura's stomach. She heard her mother collapse to the floor and a cup breaking, probably her fathers. What happened to her and Sasuke the first time they saw him was happening to her parents. They were completely frozen with fear.

_"Itachi!"_ Sakura screamed in her head, not much better of than her parents were.

"Don't even bother calling for Itachi," Orochimaru told her. Her eyes widened in shock, and she almost had doubts on whether she had actually screamed that out loud right now. "Your captor is keeping him busy," he finished. Another wave of fear shot through her again but this time she wasn't scared for her life but for Itachi's. She knew Itachi wasn't strong enough to fight Madara off.

"Why would my daughter want his help?" Sakura's father spat out the question. She looked behind her to see her father standing and with his hands in fists. Looks like the hatred he had towards Itachi was stronger than the fear Orochimaru made everyone he sees feel.

Before she knew it, Orochimaru appeared behind her father and stuck a kunai in his stomach. Sakura's father fell to the floor and screamed out in pain. She was about to run towards him, when she heard another pain filled scream. She looked up to see that Orochimaru had done the same thing to her mother. She glared up at Orochimaru and was about to scream at him and attack when he disappeared. A second later she saw rope encircling her and she couldn't even comprehend what happened before she fell to the floor with her chest tied with rope.

Orochimaru leaned down and stuck a needle into her neck. Sakura tried to move away when she saw the needle but Orochimaru held her tightly. Her whole body went numb and she felt a burning liquid move throughout her body. Orochimaru threw the needle across the room and stood up straight. "Wait here," he told her. He was about to leave through the back door before he turned around to look Sakura in the eye. "And don't even bother screaming. I've already put up a jutsu on this house so that no sound can be heard from outside."

"You bastard," Sakura screamed at him, trying her hardest to move her body without much success. Her mind was even more hazy thanks to the injection but she tried to fight through it. Orochimaru didn't even bother to say anything else to her and left. Her mother was still screaming in pain and Sakura saw her father drag himself over to her. Sakura could hear her father saying soothing words to her mother but she didn't pay much attention. Sakura was to busy trying to think of some way to get herself and her parents out of this mess. Itachi wouldn't be able to help because he must be busy fighting for his own life at that moment. And Itachi was her only hope. No one else in the village knew that she was back, so no one would be looking for them.

Her thoughts stopped and her heart sank to her stomach. Orochimaru had appeared in the living room again, but this time he had almost the entire Haruno Clan with him. Sakura knew what his plan was. All of the people quickly moved away from Orochimaru and over to her parents. There were kids, adults, and elderly people. Sakura could even make out the sound of a baby crying. The room titled for a second. It was hard to tell exactly how many people were there with her head swimming in a hazy fog.

All of the women and men tried to stop the bleeding from her parent's injuries but not one of them seemed to be paying any attention to her._ Did Orochimaru put them under some jutsu so that they couldn't see me?_ she thought. But then one of the men sent her a death glare. Her eyes widened in surprise. Did they not notice that she was also tied up or something? She thought she had imagined it but then all of the adults and elders started to glare at her every once in a while. Saying Sakura was shocked would be an understatement.

Her family was looking at her like this was her fault or something. Why were they looking at her like that? Sakura heard Orochimaru chuckle and she snapped her head up in his direction- something very difficult since he was standing behind her and she could only move her neck. "What the hell did you do to them, you bastard?" Sakura screamed at him. _What did you do to me?_ Sakura wanted to add, as she felt nauseous and disoriented. All of the people, who had been previously whispering amongst themselves, stopped and looked at them.

"Me?" Orochimaru said acting surprised. "I did nothing but tell them the truth."

"And what truth would that be?" Sakura yelled.

"That they are here and about to die because you decided to befriend Uchiha Itachi," Orochimaru said. Sakura's eyes widened at his remark.

"I can't believe you," Sakura heard her father say. She once again looked back at the group of people. They were all glaring at her, except the children, which made up about one third of the twenty or so people there. Her father's voice had been accusing.

"You honestly believe him!" Sakura yelled at him. A pang of guilt stuck her chest when she realized that they should believe him.

"Of course we do," a man Sakura only vaguely remembered from her childhood. "Women like you are all the same: sluts and whores. Just like-"

"That's enough," Sakura's father screamed at the man who had been talking. "Though, I agree with you. It was to be expected of someone like you." Her father's face showed pure hatred towards her.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sakura asked, not understanding anything.

"Sorry, honey," her father said, sarcastically. "But that's one secret we'll take to the grave."

"And I'll be more than happy to help you with that," Orochimaru said taking out a kunai.

"Don't you dare hurt them," Sakura screamed at him. Yes, it seemed like all of these people hated her more than anything at the moment, and she had actually always thought they hated her, but they were still her family and she wasn't about to let them die right in front of her.

As Orochimaru walked closer, all of the men pushed the women and children back and stood in front of them to protect them. "Sorry," Orochimaru said, in a playful tone, "but you don't get to chose who dies first." He disappeared and screams were heard from the back of the crowd. Orochimaru suddenly appeared again with an elderly woman in front of him. He slit her throat without hesitation and she fell to the floor. The women and children began to cry and scream.

Sakura looked at the scene horrified. She had known her. That woman was always so cold towards her and she had even slapped her once because she had bumped into her. Sakura had only been five at the time, but was smart enough to understand that she needed to stay away from that woman. But even with that in mind, Sakura felt a great amount of sadness in her heart because of what was happening.

Orochimaru didn't even wait for the death of the lady to sink in before he shot two kunais into two young mans' head. They fell to the floor eyes opened in shock. "Stop it!" Sakura yelled at him. She tried to move her body. She tried to push chakra into her arms to try and break the ropes. She couldn't move and at that moment Sakura noticed that she couldn't even blink. Even if the thought to close her eyes and look away had crossed her mind she wouldn't be able to do it.

A small child was pulled away from her mother's arms. The mother tried to cling onto the small little girl, but Orochimaru just threw a kunai at her legs. The woman fell to the floor screaming in pain and begging Orochimaru to let her little girl live. Orochimaru slit the little girls neck and dropped her body on the floor. He then threw another kunai at the mother but this time it hit her in the head. She fell to the floor dead. Orochimaru then made two little boys watch as he killed their mother and father. Sakura tried to scream at him to stop but she couldn't move her lips anymore.

Orochimaru kept on killing all of the people there. Screams of pain and sadness filled Sakura's ears. She noticed that all of the men were glaring at her. Silently blaming her for the death of the people there, as if she didn't blame herself for their deaths already. Sakura felt something wet touch her. She looked down and saw that it was blood. All of the blood from the dead bodies had pooled together and was now covering the entire floor. She could smell all of the blood and remembered how the blankets she had used in that cabin had smelled. Sakura felt like puking but it seemed even her organs were beginning to become paralyzed.

After what seemed like a year, only her mother and father were still alive. Sakura looked at them but they were avoiding her gaze. Always she felt like her mother and father hated her for some reason. They were never satisfied with what Sakura was able to accomplish in school, never paid any attention to her at all other than to check if she was breathing and fed. Sure, when she would see her friends they acted as if she was the center of their world and she let them. What was the point in trying to explain that when it was just them or family that they would act as if she didn't exist?

Sakura remembered that day that she had complained to Sasuke about the way Naruto acted. That that's what happens when a child doesn't have parents to watch over them and discipline them when they do something wrong. Sasuke had told her she had no idea what it was like to be alone and that she was annoying. Sakura had been tempted to tell Sasuke what really was happening in her family when she was trying to convince him to stay with her, but chose against it. He would have thought that she was making it up because never before had she said anything about her parents.

"Any last words?" Orochimaru's voice drew Sakura out of her thoughts.

"I regret ever giving birth to you," her mother told her, as she looked Sakura straight in the eyes. All Sakura could see was hatred. With that said Orochimaru slit her throat and she fell to the ground. Sakura's father seemed not to even notice his wife's death. He kept looking directly at Sakura. Well, more like glaring at her.

"I wish you were never born," her father told her in the coldest and emotionless voice she had ever heard. "You brought this upon our clan and it's because of you that we die today. Never forget that because we will make sure that you never find happiness. No," his father suddenly said after he had been quiet for a while. Orochimaru stopped, as he was about to aim a kunai at his head, curious as to what he had to say. "I hope you find happiness. That you get married and have kids." Sakura was shocked at what she was hearing. Was he regretting having hated her her whole life? "So that it can all be taken away form you just like you took my wife and family away from me. So that you can suffer as much as I'm suffering now."

Orochimaru laughed at his request. "Looks like that's one death wish I will be able to make reality," he said before he threw a kunai at Sakura's father's head. He fell to the floor.

"I love you guys, too," Sakura mumbled, staring at the floor. Numbness was taking over her heart. She didn't know how she should feel at the moment let alone what to say.

Orochimaru looked down at Sakura. "Anything you would like to say to Sasuke?" he asked her. Sakura just glared at him.

"Yeah," she said. "Tell him not to kill you." Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Because I want to do that myself." Orochimaru laughed at her little declaration.

"We'll see about that," he said. He took out a match and threw it at a pile of bodies farthest away from her. He disappeared and Sakura was suddenly able to feel her body again. She hadn't even noticed that she got her voice back until then. Sakura moved around trying to get free of the ropes. She looked up at the ceiling and noticed that smoke was coming out from the cracks on the floor.

"Damn it," Sakura said. Sakura suddenly smelled something awful. She had no idea what it was. It made her want to vomit more than anything else she had smelled in her entire life. Words couldn't describe it. By then the entire house was on fire and it was only a matter of time before the house collapsed. The smell just kept increasing as the fire spread. "What is that?"

"It's the smell of flesh burning," Itachi said. Sakura snapped her head up and noticed that Itachi was running over to her. He was able to cut the ropes quickly and he helped Sakura stand up. As soon as her hands were free, Sakura covered her mouth and nose with them. "We need to get out of here," Itachi said pulling her out of the house. Itachi was able to find a safe path out of the house without much trouble. Once they were out side, the smell all but vanished. Sakura began to cough because of all of the smoke. Itachi dragged her a few more feet away from the house before enveloping her in a big hug. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get here sooner," Itachi apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Sakura said, hugging him back. "I know Madara was keeping you busy."

Itachi pulled away from her. "Are you okay?" he asked looking at her. She nodded her head. Her eyes were getting teary because of the smoke. "I need to go. Anbu are on their way here." Sakura nodded her head. "I'll see you soon," he said, and poked her on the head with his index and middle finger.

Before she knew it, Itachi vanished and Anbu surrounded her. Out of all of the faces trying to stop the fire, Kakashi suddenly stood in front of her. "Are you alright?" he asked her, voice full of worry. Sakura was about to nod her head but decided against it. She shook her head a couple of times before wrapping her arms around Kakashi's waist.

"Their dead," Sakura sobbed into his chest, using the smoke to her advantage. Kakashi hugged her back and patted her head a couple of times. Neither of them said anything as people rushed around them trying to put out the fire. And that's when it finally sunk in. Her parents-no- her family was dead and the man who did it was the man who took Sasuke away from his home. Sakura's grip on Kakashi tightened as she thought that.

She was all alone now...just like him.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope no one is to mad at me for making Sakura's parents seem like the devils themselves, but it has a purpose.<strong>

**Please review.**


	7. A New Found Determination

Chapter 7  
>A New Found Determination<br>Songs: Skyscraper by Demi Lovato

It was a gloomy and cold day in Konoha. A small layer of fog fell on the city. Grey clouds covered the sky not letting even a single spot of blue or a single ray of sunshine through. There was no activity throughout the whole city. The Haruno's hadn't been a big clan or a powerful one, but, still, the lose of almost an entire clan was a big hit to the village. The entire village was aware of who had killed them and that Sakura was the only survivor. Along with the fact that everyone knew how Sakura felt towards Sasuke, the people couldn't help but pity the poor girl who had lost everything in a matter of weeks. Everyone was to pay his or her respects today at the funeral. They were all making their way to the Hokage building where the Third's funeral had been held. Everyone was silent, and they all felt some amount of sadness.

A couple of miles southeast of the Hokage's office, near the Third Training Ground, Sakura stood looking at the Memorial Stone. She slowly read over the names that were carved into the black stone. She was well aware that she should be heading to the Hokage's building. She was supposed to meet up with the Elders before the funeral. Sakura wanted to postpone that meeting for as long as possible. But that wasn't the main reason why she wasn't heading there yet.

It had been a week since her parents' deaths. And two weeks since her whole world turned upside down. She hadn't gotten a chance to let all of the events sink in. Right after the fire was burned out, there was noting left of her home, and the two houses on either side. Apparently Orochimaru had killed and left the bodies of the other members of the Haruno Clan in those houses. Sakura had lost everything. She stayed at the hospital and at the Hokage's building for the last week. Anbu were constantly near her. She hadn't been alone for all that time.

When all of her friends had found out about the incident, they had somehow convinced Tsunade to let them see her. Ino and Hinata had cried when they saw her, both because she was alive and because of her parents' deaths. They hadn't let her go for a while. Everyone was quiet and wouldn't talk about much. The visit was short and Sakura was grateful for that. She tried to get some rest while she was still in the hospital but every time she would fall asleep, she would have nightmares and was always too scared to fall asleep.

Sakura kept on staring at the Memorial Stone. She couldn't move. Sakura started to relive everything that had happened to her since the night Sasuke decided to leave. She started to tremble when she remembered what had happened with Madara two weeks ago. She bit her bottom lip when she remembered the looks on all of her family members' faces. They had hated her with a passion and she couldn't understand why. Her eyes started to water when she remembered her parents' last words to her. They had both seemed like they meant very well what they were saying, but after everything that had happened with Itachi and the Uchiha Clan, she didn't trust her instincts very well. She needed to talk about this with Itachi and figure out what that happened. Sakura felt that if she didn't get everything straightened out soon, the events would start to fade and facts would be hard to distinguish from whatever false reality her head created.

Sakura let out a shaky breathe. She took one last glance at some of the names on the stone and then turned around to leave. Sakura noticed that almost the entire village was so quiet that it made her more nervous. She was becoming paranoid and it annoyed her how much of an affect they had had on her. Sakura stared at the ground the entire walk.

About halfway there she started to think about the Elders. She wasn't sure what to expect. The Elders weren't exactly a hot topic and she just then realized how little she knew about them before she met Itachi. _That reminds me, I need to ask Itachi to give me back all of the memories he supposedly erased..._Sakura thought.

"_I will." _Sakura was surprised for a split second before she recognized the voice.

_"What happened to morals about not listening in on a person's thoughts, unless they were a suspect or something?" _Sakura was really worried about not being able to have her thoughts to herself. Should she also add her privacy to the 'things she's lost' list?

_"Sorry, but I wasn't listening in on your thoughts. I was just monitoring your thoughts for my name so I would know if you were in trouble or needed my help." _Sakura just rolled her eyes at him.

_"Yeah, whatever you say. So you will give me my memories back?"_ Sakura asked, though Itachi didn't answer since Hinata and Ino walked up to her then.

"Sakura, we're so glad we found you," Ino said once they saw her.

"Why? Did something happen?" Sakura asked, expecting the worst.

"No, n-nothing happened," Hinata answered. Sakura noticed that they were both wearing the same thing they had to the Hokage's funeral.

"It's just that they decided to start the funeral earlier so we came to tell you," Ino explained.

"Oh, okay," Sakura said. She felt empty inside and wasn't sure whether she was ready to do this.

"We should go. Everyone is probably already there."

"Alright," Sakura answered. The three of them walked to the Hokage's building in silence. Once they were almost at the entrance to the roof, Hinata and Ino looked back at her with worried looks. Sakura did the best she could to simply ignore them and try and concentrate on not having to think about anything other than getting through the funeral without having a nervous breakdown.

_"Everything will be alright,"_ she heard Itachi say in her head. _"I'm here if you need me."_

_"Thank you,"_ Sakura said, feeling a bit better. Once they were outside Hinata and Ino walked over to where Kiba and Shikamaru were. Sakura stayed near the door and noticed that the entire village was there. Sakura noticed Lady Tsunade and Shizune in the front of the rows of people and went to stand next to them.

Sakura stood still looking at all of the pictures that were in front of her. In the middle was a picture of her parents. Sakura felt a range of emotions as the funeral started. At first she didn't feel anything at all, then she felt extremely said seeing all of the pictures of small children that were there. She started remembering some of the few memories she had that her parents were actually happy. Sakura fought back the urge to cry because of the fact that those memories were so few.

Suddenly Sakura felt raindrops on her head. She looked up and saw how it quickly started to rain down on them. Sakura looked back at Shizune and she just gave her an encouraging smile. Sakura grabbed the bouquet of white roses she had in her hands and started to walk over to where the picture of her parents was. She stood there awhile before gently placing the flowers on the table and walking back to her place next to Shizune.

Sakura looked back up at the sky and was somehow thankful for the rain. She wasn't crying but she felt like she should be and now, thanks to the rain, the fact that she wasn't was hidden. Sakura watched as every person slowly started to drop white roses in front of the pictures of the people they had lost. Sakura just wanted all of this to be over with. The longer she stood there, the more and more the horrible scenes of her clan being murdered flooded her mind. She blamed herself for there deaths and was feeling weak for not being able to protect them. Sakura extended her arm out and caught some raindrops in her open palm. The unrelenting idea that something was off kept bothering her.

_Skies are crying_  
><em>I am watching<em>  
><em>Catching teardrops in my hand<em>

The funeral came to an end and people slowly started to return to their houses, eager to get out of the downpour. Sakura didn't move from her spot. She just kept looking at every one of their faces. She felt her heart clench. She couldn't hear anything that was happening around her. She just felt empty.

_Only silence, as it's ending_  
><em>Like we never had a chance<em>

_"This was your fault."_ Sakura's entire body trembled when she heard that voice. She knew that she would never forget it for as long as she lived. It was Madara. _"Because you decided to believe Itachi, I had no choice but to make you pay."_ Sakura glanced around her looking for no one in particular because she knew she wasn't going to find anyone that could help her. Suddenly pictures of all of the people that died came into her head. _"Why didn't you_ save _me, Sakura-chan?"_ A voice asked as an image of a young boy appeared in her head. He had his neck slit but he was talking normally. Another image of a little girl with a kunai in her forehead appeared. _"Why did I have to die?"_ She asked as she was sobbing. Then she saw everyone exactly like they had been killed. _"Why didn't you save us?"_ they all asked her.

_Do you have to  
><em> _Make me feel like_  
><em>There's nothing left of me?<em>

Sakura felt all of her control disappear. Her knees buckled and she was about to fall to the ground, but two strong hands wrapped around her waist and started pushing her towards the door to the stairs. Sakura looked up and saw Homura was the one that saved her. Sakura let herself be carried away. She vaguely heard Utatane talking to the Hokage.

Homura lead Sakura down the stairs and through many hallways. Sakura wasn't even trying to pay any attention to where they were going. She was just trying to get the images and voices out of her head. They just kept on repeating and repeating. She just wanted it to stop.

Soon they arrived at a long hallway with only one door. There were two Anbu on both sides of the door. As they got closer, one of the Anbu opened the door for them. As soon as Homura got Sakura in the room, two strong, muscular hands grabbed her. Sakura looked up in panic, wondering who it was. She was shocked to see Itachi standing in front of her with a very worried expression. _"This is all his fault."_ Madara and the rest of the Haruno Clan told her. Sakura closed her eyes and covered her ears.

Itachi put both his hands over Sakura's and closed his eyes. He tried to concentrate on pushing Madara out of Sakura's mind. This was no easy task since he had never really tried anything like this before especially with someone as strong as Madara. Itachi imagined that he was pushing a huge boulder and that he had to get it out as soon as possible. He saw and heard everything Sakura was hearing now. He felt how guilty she felt and he knew very well that if he didn't end this soon, things were going to get a lot worse.

Madara was shocked when he felt resistance. Sakura also noticed the images becoming unclear. She opened her eyes and saw Itachi. He seemed to have been concentrating on something, and Sakura was thankful that it seemed like he was the reason why the images and voices were fading.

But then Sakura suddenly felt as if her head was going to explode. She let out a scream filled pain and fell to her knees. Itachi quickly got on his knees and continued to try and push Madara out but it was close to impossible now. Sakura had a migraine and she bit down on her lip to keep from screaming.

The images of her clan disappeared. Sakura almost felt relived but then she saw another image. It was Sasuke. He was just like she remembered him the night he left. Sakura felt an unimaginable happiness at the sight of Sasuke. He walked over to her. His face was emotionless. Sakura wanted to run up to him and hug him._ "Why are you with him?"_ Sakura froze when she heard how cold and angry his voice sounded. His eyes were now filled with hatred, all directed towards her. _"He made my life into a living hell and yet you trust him and are going to help him?"_ Sasuke was screaming at her now and the curse mark was slowly forming throughout his body_. "How could you do this to me! I trusted you! And you betrayed me! Like everyone I ever cared about! Your no different!"_

_You can take everything I have_  
><em>You can take everything I am<br>_ _Like I'm made of glass  
>s<em> _Like I'm made of paper_

Sakura felt her heartbreak when she heard everything Sasuke told her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Sakura closed her eyes again. "Please," she whispered. Itachi opened his eyes, surprised by how heart broken she sounded. "Make it stop." Itachi felt horrible because he knew there was no way he could push Madara out of her head now. Sakura was trembling again from all the pain in her head and in her heart. She wanted all of this to stop!

_Go on and try to tear me down_  
><em>I will be rising from the ground<em>  
><em>Like a skyscraper<em>

Sakura was sick and tired of everything. She was not going to take this for one second more. She was tired of being weak. She was tired of having to depend on others. She felt power surge from inside her and she suddenly knew what to do. She pushed Madara out of her head and let out a deep sigh of relief when the migraine disappeared. She looked up at Itachi and smiled at his shocked expression. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

_Like a skyscraper_

Itachi helped Sakura get up of the floor and lead her to one of the coaches. "Do you feel better now?" He asked. Sakura nodded her head.

"Here." Sakura lifted her head and saw Utatane handing her a glass of water. Sakura gave her a small smile and took the glass of water. She drank the water and looked at the room she was in. It was a very large room, probably took up the entire floor. They were seated at the center. There was another coach in front of her, where Utatane and Homura were sitting at. Behind them were about ten or so book cases and they all seemed to be filled with books. To her far right was a huge desk made of oak and right in the middle of the wall was a huge window that let one see all of Konoha.

"Is he completely gone now?" she turned to see Itachi looking at her, obviously still worried.

"Yes," Sakura said.

"Maybe you should take her home for today," Utatane said, also looking very worried.

"We can always talk tomorrow," Homura added. Itachi nodded his head in agreement.

"And where exactly would home be?" Sakura asked remembering that this was her first day out of the hospital and that her previous home had been burned down.

"You have an apartment now," Itachi answered. "I took the liberty of filling it with basic furniture, though left the more important choices up to you." Sakura nodded her head in understatement. She wasn't about to flip out on him because she didn't like the coffee table he bought her.

"Thanks," Sakura answered.

"Well, let's go," Itachi said. "I think it would be best if you buy everything else that you need tomorrow. But it's up to you."

"I think I rather go home and rest," Sakura answered suddenly feeling very tired. Itachi gave her a weak smile.

"Pushing someone out of your head isn't easy. Especially someone as strong as Madara," Itachi explained. Sakura involuntarily flinched at the sound of his name. Itachi and the Elders all exchanged looks when they noticed this. "Well, we should go." Itachi walked over to the desk and grabbed the cloak that was on the chair. Sakura hadn't even noticed it before. He then grabbed a mask and put it on with the hood on as well.

"Is that really going to be good enough?" Sakura asked, a little doubtful about the disguise.

"Don't worry, I'll be hiding my chakra," Itachi told her. Sakura didn't even bother to respond. If she spent anymore time there she would probably fall asleep standing up. Itachi must have noticed this because he quickly led the two of them out of the room, telling the Elders that they would return tomorrow.

Surprisingly enough, no one seemed to find it odd that an Anbu was escorting her. Well, at least the few people they saw didn't. It was still raining so most of the people were in their houses. Itachi carried the umbrella in one hand and had the other hand wrapped around Sakura's waist the majority of the time since Sakura would sometimes feel dizzy.

It didn't take them long to reach the apartment building. Naruto would be happy to now that she would be living so close by. Itachi helped her up the stairs and Sakura didn't even bother to pay any attention to where her new apartment would be. Before she knew it, Itachi was leading her into a spacious apartment. The living room and kitchen seemed fairly large, but at that moment all Sakura wanted to see was her bed. Apparently, Itachi was reading her mind because he didn't bother to show her around and led her straight to the bedroom. Sakura was happy to see that there was already a full sized bed with a mattress, sheets and pillows.

Sakura quickly kicked off her shoes and fell on the bed. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Sakura felt as Itachi unmade the bed and gently pulled the covers over her. "Goodnight," he whispered.

"Wait," Sakura said, suddenly very awake. "Please don't go." She didn't care if she sounded weak or foolish. All she knew was that she would be able to sleep better if she knew that Itachi was by her side.

"Alright," Itachi said. He walked over to the other side of the bed, took of his shoes and shirt, and laid down in the bed. Sakura wasn't surprised that she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

* * *

><p>Sakura slowly started to wake up. She was still half asleep and wanted to keep it that why but apparently her mind didn't want to let her. She was nice and warm under the covers and didn't want to get up. For a moment she thought she was in her old room and her mom would soon be there to wake her up, but then she remembered everything that had happened. And sleep just left her.<p>

She was finally fully awake so she felt the heavy arm that was around her waist. Sakura opened her eyes and looked over to her right. Itachi was still sleeping and apparently had moved around during the night. She was surprised that she felt completely at ease with the fact that Uchiha Itachi was sleeping in her bed with an arm around her. She softly took Itachi's arm and moved it enough so that she could get up.

_As the smokes clears_  
><em>I waken and untangle you from me<em>

Sakura walked over to another door in the room and was pleased to see that it was the bathroom. She walked to the sink and looked at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing the same dress from yesterday and her hair was sticking out at different spots. Sakura remembered what happened yesterday. It had hurt her so much what Madara had done to her. She just couldn't understand why he would have gone so far as to even bring Sasuke up. But she had to remind herself that he was a heartless bastard capable of anything.

_Would it make you feel better  
><em> _To watch me as I bleed_

Sakura felt her heart clench when she remembered everything that Sasuke had said to her. Without a doubt, Sasuke had been what affected her the most. It was stupid and shouldn't have been like that but it was. Sasuke's words had made her lose it. She knew very well that it wasn't the real Sasuke but she still couldn't help but feel hurt by it. His words had hurt her just has much as the words he told her before he left.

_All my windows_  
><em>Still are broken<em>

And again, just like yesterday, Sakura felt a sudden rage take over her. She was done feeling sorry for herself. She was going to train and get stronger. She didn't die by Madara's hands or Orochimaru's or by the fire. She was still alive. She was still there. And she was going to fight them all with everything she had. She wouldn't give up. After everything that happened to her, she was still standing and she was going to make the best out of a horrible situation.

_But I'm standing on my feet_

Madara had thought that she was weak. That she was an easy prey. Orochimaru had taken her down without so much of an effort. They had both humiliated her and taken precious things from her, things that she could probably never get back.

_You can take everything I have  
><em> _You can take everything I am  
><em> _Like I'm made of glass  
><em> _Like I'm made of paper_

But in a way, she would have to thank them someday. Because it was thanks to them that she finally broke. She was finally able to find the strength within her to fight, and she'd be damned if she wasn't going to make their lives hell from now on.

_Go on and try to tear me down_  
><em>I will be rising from the ground<br>_ _Like a skyscraper_

* * *

><p><strong>Well I hope you all liked the new chapter! I'll try and get the next one up as soon as possible. Oh, and didn't anybody else notice that I updated the last two chapters on Sasuke's birthday? Well, I didn't until the end of the day. What a strange coincidence :P<strong>


	8. Courage and Three Kekkei Genkai's

**I was finally able to get the revised version finished! It's shorter than the original but still has all the important information. Thanks for the patience!**

Chapter 8  
>Courage and Three Kekkei Genkai's<br>Song: This is Me by Demi Lovato

Sakura was nervous. But that was completely rational. Who wouldn't be nervous when they were about to face two of the most powerful people in her village, aside from the Hokage? Sakura kept fidgeting as she walked towards the Hokage's Tower. She had made this trek countless times but never before had she been so anxious.

When Sakura had returned to her room after a quick shower, Itachi had already left. Sakura had quickly gone through her morning routine. As she was making her bed, Sakura noticed a note on the nightstand. The pink haired kunoichi did not recognize the writing so she assumed it to be Itachi's. The note informed her that Itachi had arranged a meeting between her and the Elders for later that morning. Though Sakura was pleased to hear that Itachi would be joining them, she still didn't want to go through with the meeting.

Lost in thought, Sakura was surprised to see that she had arrived at the building sooner than she would have liked. She had already been to the Elders office, but the memory was hazy at best. She could only hope that she didn't get lost. Sakura took a keen interest in the wooden floor as she made her way towards the room she assumed to be the Elders. If one would stare at the curving patterns, then some times random shapes would pop out. Sakura was able to distinguish a bear, a leaf, and a distorted human figure.

Quite a few people passed her, but none of them tried to start any form of conversation. They all just politely ignored her. Sakura was gratefully for that. She still wasn't sure how she was supposed to act after everything that had happened. It all seemed like a far away dream. Sakura quickly put those thoughts aside. She couldn't allow herself to have an identity crisis at that precise moment.

The young teenager had arrived at her destination. Two men were still guarding the entrance. Sakura was hesitant at first, unsure if they would admit her or not. One of the men stepped forward and opened the door for Sakura. The young kunoichi slowly entered the room. The Elders were already seated at one of the sofas. Itachi had been looking out of the large glass windows but turned towards her when she entered. Sakura walked towards the sofas. "Good morning," Sakura sad politely.

"Morning," the Elders replied. Everyone seemed to be feeling anxious today.

"Take a seat," Utatane said, gesturing towards the sofa in front of her. Sakura was quick to obey. "We should get right to the point. There are a lot of things that need to be covered today so it would be best to begin."

"Of course," Itachi said as he sat down beside Sakura. "There are some things that I need to confess to you." Sakura was not liking the worried look Itachi was wearing.

"About?" Sakura asked timidly. If she focused all of her attention on Itachi, then maybe she wouldn't get so nervous.

"It has to do with your family," Itachi answered. He took a deep breath, as if steeling his nerves. "A few decades ago, when Tobirama was Hokage, he made a trip to Kumogakure in order to form an alliance with the Raikage of the time. There was a coup d'etat and Tobirama was seriously injured. On his way back to Konoha, he stopped on a small island in the Land of Water. He was cared for by an elder man in a small cottage, a good distance away from any large village.

"I'm sure you're aware that people with kekkei genkai in the Land of Water were extremely feared." Sakura gave a short nod, remembering Haku. "The Yuki clan had a kekkei genkai. Tobirama later discovered that the man caring for him was part of the Yuki clan. One day a stranger left a baby on his doorstep. There was a note attached explaining that the baby was his granddaughter and that the mother had been killed. The elder man knew perfectly well that sooner or later people would go after his small granddaughter. He begged Tobirama to take her away from the Land of Water. Tobirama agreed.

"The Second Hokage brought the young infant to Konoha. For whatever stroke of luck, the Haruno clan adopted the baby. Tobirama believed it to be a good match; perhaps if she grew up in a non-ninja family, she would not be harmed. But the girl did grow up to be a ninja. I suppose you could say she felt a calling towards the profession. She became an exemplary kunoichi. Some of the other women in the Haruno clan began to resent the girl. She was beautiful and most of the boys were attracted to her.

"The young girl grew up and fell in love with a member of the Kurama clan. Of course, the Haruno clan took advantage of all the rumors about the Kurama clan to condemn the couple. The Kurama clan also held a kekkei genkai, you see. Their kekkei genkai gave them extreme skill over genjutsus. The pair ignored all the criticism. The young woman from the Land of Water bore a daughter. Tragedy struck the family when both of the parents died on missions. The Third, knowing all the history of the young infant, asked the Haruno clan to take care of her. The woman that the request was made off put up resistance but finally relented since it was the Hokage who was asking.

"Just like her mother, Sayuri became a ninja. She only possessed the Kurama's kekkei genkai. She was scorned by the entire clan and dealt a difficult life by the hands of fate. She fell in love with an Uchiha. The Uchiha, weary of all outsiders were against the idea of an Uchiha marrying someone outside the clan, especially someone from such a lowly clan. But, as their predecessors, the pair paid no mind to all the resistance.

"Honestly, Sayuri's mother's death was probably inevitable. Sayuri, on the other hand, was dealt a death sentence when she fell in love with Uchiha Isamu. As fate would have it, they also had another daughter." Itachi paused and looked away from Sakura. She had a pretty good idea of who that daughter was.

"Sayuri was exceptionally beautiful, just like her mother. They both had singular pink hair and vibrant green eyes. Sayuri passed that on to her daughter." Itachi held her gaze as Sakura let it sink in. She knew how Itachi's story was going to end but she didn't want to hear it. For a few more seconds, Sakura wanted to believe that he would tell her that her parents were still alive. But, there was no room for such wishful thinking in her life.

"What happened to her? To them?" Sakura asked quietly.

"They died, during the Kyubi's attack on the village. Again, the Hokage put the child under the Haruno's protection. The…the Uchiha did not want to recognize the child. It would only get them into more problems since some people were suspicious of the Uchiha after the attack."

Sakura knew Itachi was trying to phrase it as pleasantly as possible, but the truth was that the Uchiha simply didn't think she was worth the trouble. Their attention was focused on other matters. Sakura took a moment to steel herself and then looked back up at Itachi, silently asking him to continue.

"I discovered your true identity later on, after I had joined Anbu. In order to protect you, I sealed away your kekkei genkai. Now, I think it would be best to unlock it and allow you to learn how to control it." Sakura numbly nodded. "You don't have the Kurama's kekkei genkai, though you obviously obtained a natural talent for genjutsu. You did inherit the Yuki clan's kekkei genkai. It will take a lot of effort in order for you to learn to control it."

Sakura was unsure of what she was supposed to say, if anything at all. This was different from hearing the truth of the Uchiha clan. No matter how much she loved Sasuke, the Uchiha massacre had little to do with her. It had been a devastating truth about what it entailed but nothing that shook her core as much as what Itachi had just said. Sakura was more lost than ever. All her life had been a lie. Things were cleared up, like the animosity of her family, but that did nothing to clear the fog in her head.

"In order to help you with your new found abilities, I have requested the assistance of one of the jonin form the village," Itachi continued.

"Who?" Sakura quickly asked. How in the world had Itachi even managed to speak to someone without causing a huge scene? A knock on the door was the response to her question.

"Enter," Utatane called out. The door slowly opened and revealed Sarutobi Asuma. The jonin glared at the Uchiha seated beside her. Sakura's heart was racing. She hadn't expected Itachi's choice to be someone she actually knew.

"You summonsed me," Asuma stated.

"Actually, Itachi was the one who requested your presence," Mitokado said.

Asuma's jaw clenched and he refused to look over at the Uchiha. He also hadn't spared her a glance the entire time he was there.

"What for?" Asuma asked, directing his question towards the Elders.

"Sakura needs someone to help her control her wind release," Itachi explained. It was odd seeing Asuma so tense and angry.

"Isn't she a bit inexperienced to be starting elemental jutsus?" Again, Asuma directed the question towards the Elders. Perhaps Asuma thought that if he didn't acknowledge Itachi, he would suddenly disappear.

"She's more than capable and in need of a good teacher," Itachi responded. Sakura wasn't sure if Itachi was trying to use flattery, but either way it wasn't doing the trick.

"So be it," Asuma responded. "Is that all?" When the Elders nodded yes, Asuma turned on his heel and exited the room. Sakura tried not to feel hurt that Asuma had not once turned to look at her.

"That went more smoothly than I expected," Mitokado commented dryly. "Let's move on."

Utatane reached for a box at the center of the table. Sakura had been paying such little attention to her surroundings that she hadn't even noticed the box. "Since Itachi has put so much faith in you, we have decided to entrust a few historical relics to you as well." Utatane carefully opened the plain brown box and took out two journals. The journals appeared to be timeworn and overly used. Utatane handed them to Sakura, who took them gingerly in her hands. Out of curiosity, she flipped through the first one and noticed that the pages were black. Sakura looked up with a confused look.

"Those journals used to belong to the First and Second Hokage," Mitokado informed her. "They both used a jutsu that prevents anyone from reading it. Since you are from the Kurama clan, we thought that you might have better luck at trying to undo the jutsu than we would."

"Can't you use your Sharingan?" Sakura asked Itachi.

"I tried once," Itachi said while he flipped to a certain page in the journal. "It didn't work out so well." The pages Itachi had turned to were burnt and crumbled. "Apparently, one of the Hokage's did not wish for any Uchiha to be allowed to read it."

"As for the other gifts," Utatane said, regaining Sakura's attention. The woman took out two folded fans from inside the box. She handed them to Sakura. "Careful, the edges are sharp." Sakura carefully unfurled the first fan. The decoration on the fan was of a beautiful cascading waterfall. The entire background was a light azure color. Thick black brush strokes outlined the water and mountain. Sakura gently closed it and observed the other one. This one had a forest green on the background. Leaves were shown fluttering across the fabric. White lines represented gusts of wind. "These fans were originally intended to be weapons so don't stuff them in a cabinet and allow them to collect dust."

"Of course not," Sakura said timidly. She wasn't the type to be reprimanded.

_I've always been the kind of girl  
>That hid my face<em>

"Good. This is the last object that we are giving you," Utatane said as she handed her a kunai. There didn't seem to be anything extraordinary about the weapon. Mitokado opened his mouth to say something but right then the door opened. For a moment, Sakura panicked thinking that someone had caught them. Then, Danzo came into view, and Sakura almost wished someone had discovered them.

"Danzo," Mitokado greeted. Apparently, it wasn't just Sakura who was surprised to see him there.

"I just came by to meet Itachi's new pawn," Danzo commented as he looked down at Sakura. The young girl shifted in her seat. She did not like that man. But she couldn't possibly say anything against him. He had dozens of men that could easily kill her and leave no evidence.

_So afraid to tell the world  
>What I've got to say<em>

"Please, Danzo, don't tempt Itachi," Utatane warned. Danzo paid her no mind. He looked Sakura over and then shifted his gaze to Itachi. After a short stand off, Danzo moved to stand at the other end of the sofas.

"I believe you two have become far to lenient with the Uchiha," Danzo commented.

"Lenient?" Itachi asked. "I never asked your permission on this."

"But you are more than happy to ask for protection for her, are you not?" Danzo countered. _After everything he's done for you, after everything you've done to him, you still talk to him like that? _Sakura thought. This man had such disdain for Itachi. Yet, to her, Itachi was the bravest and noblest person she knew.

_ But I have this dream  
>Right inside of me<em>

"I don't think it would benefit either side to have Sakura put in danger," Itachi replied.

"Yes, well, this bastard child-"

"Danzo!" Utatane exclaimed. Sakura felt herself flinch away from the man. The insult had hurt. It had hurt more than she would care to admit.

"She is part of the Uchiha clan," Danzo continued as he glared at Sakura. "Madly in love with Itachi's younger brother. The incompetent ninja who couldn't resist temptation."

_Do you know what it's like  
>To feel so in the dark<em>

"Leave my brother out of this, Danzo," Itachi cautioned.

"He's a traitor. He couldn't face the reality he was dealt with. He allowed himself to be consumed by hatred and ambition."

_To dream about a life  
>Where you're the shining star<em>

Sakura clenched her fists in her lap. How could this man stand there and diminish Sasuke like that? He had no idea the pain Sasuke had went through. Danzo couldn't begin to imagine how Sasuke felt, no one could. Not even her. Sakura wanted to jump out of her seat and tell Danzo everything she was thinking. She needed to defend Sasuke.

_Even though it seems  
>Like it's too far away<br>I have to believe in myself  
>It's the only way<em>

"The kid has only caused the village more problems. In less than three years, Orochimaru will take his body and obtain the Sharingan-"

"Stop it!" Sakura yelled as she stood up. Everyone in the room turned their gaze to her. "How can you stand there and say those things about Sasuke-kun? You don't know what he went through or how much he fought the power of the curse mark."

_I'm gonna let it show  
>It's time to let you know<br>To let you know_

"You have no right to talk to me in that manner," Danzo shot back at her. "Your just a genin. You have no idea who you are!"

_This is real  
>This is me<br>I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be now_

"I know perfectly well who I am," Sakura responded. "I'm Haruno Sakura daughter of Haruno Sayuri and Uchiha Isamu. I'm a member of the Yuki clan and the Kurama clan. And I'm a member of Team 7."

_Gonna let the light shine on me  
>Now I've found who I am<br>There's no way to hold it in  
>No more hiding who I wanna be<br>This is me_

"I won't stand here and watch as you not only degrade Sasuke-kun but also Itachi. You and this village owe your life to Uchiha Itachi. How can you stand there and patronize him as if he was a small child? He's accomplished more than you ever had. He had the valor to stand up for what was right. You? You cowered behind him, using treachery and manipulation to reach your goals. You're no better than the deceitful Sanin, Orochimaru!"

For a good five seconds, Sakura expected Danzo to explode. She thought he'd hit her or slap her. But Danzo just stood in front of her, silently fuming. Without a word, Danzo walked around the coach Utatane and Mitokado were seated at and left the room.

There was dead silence in the room after Danzo's departure. Sakura stood awkwardly in the center of the room even after the adrenaline had left her system.

"Well, Itachi," Utatane began. "Perhaps you didn't choose a spineless, love-stricken puppy as your disciple after all." It took Sakura a moment to realize that she had not just been insulted. Sakura blushed lightly and sat back down on the sofa, staring down at her hands.

"Yes, thank you for the reassurance," Itachi stated. "We should go. Sakura needs to begin her training soon."

"Of course," Mitokado answered. Sakura quickly stood up, all her new possessions clutched in her hands.

"Thank you, Mitokado-sama, Utatane-sama," Sakura said as she bowed to each elder in turn. They gave her an acknowledging nod. Itachi gently guided Sakura out of the room. Sakura still felt light headed after everything that had happened, but she'd have to push everything out of her mind until she had sufficient time to process everything. She didn't think that time would arrive soon.


	9. Nightmares

Chapter 9  
>Nightmares<br>Songs: Bleed (I must be dreaming) by Evanescence

Sakura was looking all over her room and she just wasn't comfortable. "Any spot will have to do for now," Itachi said, leaning against the doorframe.

"I know," Sakura mumbled. She walked over to her nightstand where she put the note Itachi had left her, and she hid the journals, fans, and kunai in there.

"Isn't that the first place you put them?" Itachi asked, slightly annoyed.

"Yeah," Sakura responded. She just didn't feel comfortable leaving such important things out in the open. Especially since Madara or Orochimaru could just simply walk in while she was gone and take them.

"They'll be fine," Itachi told her. "Let's go." He walked over to the bed and put on the cloak and mask he had used before.

"Doesn't that just make you look even more obvious," Sakura asked, still not convinced that was the best disguise.

"I think the villagers would worry more to see you walking around the village after been kidnapped by two S-ranked missing nin without any protection," Itachi stated, walking out the door.

"I guess so," Sakura said. Once they were out of her new apartment, Itachi handing her the keys. Sakura just took them and quickly put them away. She didn't like the idea of living alone. It was going to be something she was going to have some trouble getting used to. Especially with how paranoid she was becoming.

They started walking down the stairs and Sakura was happy to see that it wasn't raining anymore, though it was still pretty cloudy. "So," Sakura asked, dragging out the word. Itachi looked over at her, and Sakura didn't even have to look under the mask to know that he had an eyebrow arched. "The Anbu that stand outside of the Elder's room, do they know the truth?" Sakura had been wondering about that for some time know. It was supposed to be a secret but apparently a lot of people knew about it.

"They're from Root, so yes, they know," Itachi answered.

"Root?" Sakura asked confused and slightly upset by how little she knew about her own village.

"It's a subdivision in Anbu that is led by Danzo," Itachi explained. "They were officially disbanded years ago, but still exist and take orders from Danzo alone."

"Meaning they wouldn't take orders from the Hokage?"

"Exactly," Itachi said. "Danzo's trained them to be ruthless and heartless. They shouldn't have any emotions at all. They raise them all like brothers then force them to kill one another in the end."

"Kinda like the Uchiha's?" Sakura asked shyly.

"Yeah," Itachi said, seemly unfazed by her comparison. "Except the Uchiha's actually get power out of doing that. Though Danzo believes that being able to kill in cold blood is power..." Sakura looked away from Itachi. There were a lot more people around now. Probably wasn't best that she was seen talking to her Anbu "escort." _"Just keep walking towards the clearing, I'm hoping to introduce you to Konan today,"_ Itachi told her in her head.

_"Right,"_ Sakura responded. She was lucky enough not to run into anyone she knew throughout the entire trip. Sakura, of course, had many questions to ask Itachi but thought it better to ask him when they were alone. They reached the forest rather quickly, though Sakura had to wait a while to make sure she wasn't seen.

Sakura surprised herself when she remembered the path to the clearing easily. She had thought a lot about it in the days that she was in the hospital. It was so beautiful, that Sakura just knew she was going to feel at peace there. Sakura was so eager to get there that she failed to notice that Itachi had stopped walking a few steps behind her. When she finally noticed that she didn't hear any footsteps behind her, Sakura turned around to look at Itachi. He was a few meters behind and, since he had taken of the mask, Sakura could see that he was concentrating on something. She kept quiet, though, and waited for Itachi to finally look at her.

Itachi let out a deep sigh and met Sakura's curious gaze. "She won't be able to make it," Itachi simply said, as he walked ahead of her.

"Why?" Sakura asked as she quickly tried to catch up to him.

"Problems," Itachi simply said. The way Itachi said that one word made Sakura be filled with worry. When she walked into the clearing, the calming sensation that she had expected to feel didn't appear.

"What kinds of problems?" Sakura asked. She was really let down. Not only did she not feel relieved, her worries had just increased.

"We're not sure," Itachi said, sitting down on the ground and leaning back against a tree. "And that's the worst part."

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, sitting down next to him.

"Some of the spies we had were killed," Itachi answered.

"Could it be Madara?" Sakura asked, thinking it was rather easy for him to find spies and kill them.

"It wouldn't be in Madara's best interest to kill our spies," Itachi mumbled.

"Then Orochimaru?" Itachi turned to look at her and gave her a small smile.

"Orochimaru and Madara aren't the only villains in the world, Sakura," Itachi told her, in a humorous tone.

"I know that," Sakura said, a little offended. "It's just that they are the most powerful ones I know."

"Well, not only criminals would kill other criminals," Itachi said.

"Where were the spies from?" Sakura asked, curious to learn more about Akatsuki.

"From all over," Itachi said. "There is no pattern or anything between kills. Which just makes it harder to figure out how they were found out and who killed them." Itachi let out a sigh. "There isn't much that we can do. And since you won't be meeting her today, why don't we start your training?"

"Sure," Sakura said, not too excited since her head was still on the murders.

"First, mind reading," Itachi stated, as he crossed his legs and turned to face Sakura. "Try it."

Sakura stared at Itachi for a few seconds. "I know you said you couldn't teach me this, but seriously! You're not going to tell me anything!"

"Just try it," Itachi said. "Follow your instincts. I have a feeling it will be a lot easier for you then it was for me."

Sakura was about to complain again, but then she reminded herself that she really did need to hurry and get stronger. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to do as Itachi asked. She thought back to the time that she had so easily found the Elder's location that morning. Looking back now, there had seemed to be something pulling her in the right direction. Sakura remembered being able to feel their presence, even though it was different from sensing their chakra. She hadn't really done much. She had simply imagined seeing the Elders in a room like the one that she vaguely remembered from the day of the funeral. It had come almost instantly to her. She hadn't even needed to think about it.

But something in the back of her mind told her that she hadn't been reading minds or anything like that. What she had done was similar but not what she needed to do in order to read Itachi's mind. Similar, but not the same. Sakura let out an exasperated sigh. "Just let your instincts kick in," Itachi told her. He remembered how hard and frustrating it had been when he had first tried to read minds. It had taken him more time than he would care to admit. Itachi was already suspecting that Sakura would pick it up faster than he did, but he wasn't expecting her to get it on the first try. He believed that the Kurama Clan's kekkei genkai that was in her blood would help her to figure out how to read minds, but he highly doubted that was the reason. The jutsu he put on her-

_"What jutsu?"_ Sakura asked.

Itachi was paralyzed. He didn't move, breath, and he most definitely didn't think. He had just heard Sakura speak, but she hadn't moved her lips. He had been looking right at her when she spoke and there was no way that she could have possibly even mumbled that. No, he had heard her loud and clear. Itachi felt this weird feeling in his head. He had felt it once before.

Itachi instantly pushed Sakura out of his head. Madara had once tried to read his mind and he had felt that same feeling. Itachi studied Sakura, regretting having pushed her. But Sakura kept perfectly still for a while more. Then, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Itachi. He noticed right away that she had been reading his mind for longer than he would have liked. And it seemed that the accomplishment of learning how to do so was completely over looked thanks to what she had heard.

"What jutsu?" Sakura asked again, with a very serious tone. She had been able to do it. All that was necessary was for her not to think about it. She just told herself that she wanted to read Itachi's mind and it all but came to her in that instant. She had been so excited when she heard Itachi talking in her head, especially when his mind drifted to the gift he had for her.

But that had all been forgotten, once she heard him start to talk about a jutsu he performed.

Since Itachi had told her about the kekkei genkai's her parents and grandparents had had, she remembered that Haku had discovered his kekkei genkai when he was a small child and that he hadn't known how to use it. Sakura had never been able to do something like manipulate water or ice. And while her genjutsu was good, it was never so outstanding that it would draw people's attention too much.

She kept on watching Itachi, as he, obviously, was trying to think of something to tell her. Sakura had always been known for her short-temper. But others had also thought her of as a coward. Now, she was proving both those people wrong. Sakura pushed back her anger so that she would be able to think with an open mind about what Itachi was about to say. If he had put another jutsu on her to stop her powers, then she would undoubtedly be upset. Sakura found this a lot easier than she usually would, but didn't dwell too much on that fact. And she was also glaring, and, soon would be, arguing, with an S-ranked missing nin that could kill her in a second- Sakura felt the need to keep reminding herself of that _small_ fact.

Itachi wasn't sure what to do or say. He had been worried that he had hurt Sakura by pushing her out of his head especially since it had been her first time reading minds. Though now, it was pretty obvious that Sakura hadn't been hurt. But he was worried about how to answer her question. He had let his mind travel, though he had already confessed to his offense in front of the Elders, either Sakura had forgotten that fact or she believed he'd done something far worse.

And then there was the fact that he hadn't noticed that Sakura had been reading his mind until she made her presence known. He had been thinking freely all this time because he knew, that if Sakura somehow managed to read his mind, he would instantly noticing it and get that weird sensation. But he hadn't. And while Sakura might have been able to read someone's mind that wasn't very skilled in mind-techniques without them feeling strange, there was no way she wouldn't have been able to not alert him of her presence.

Itachi had absolutely no proof, but he did believe that somehow a mind reader would alert someone else of their presence if they weren't careful and hit a nerve in the brain. And Itachi did believe that this technique was somehow just a person being able to control the nerves in the human brain with their own brain. But it was still just a theory he had.

"Itachi," Sakura said through gritted teeth. Sakura's voice snapped Itachi out of his thoughts. He looked over at her. He let out a deep sigh.

"When you were younger, I performed a fuinjutsu on you," Itachi stated.

"You did what?" Sakura yelled at him. She didn't need much more explanation on what he had done. He had sealed away her kekkei genkai's.

"Calm down," Itachi told her. "I had good reasons to do what I did, and I did mention it to you at the meeting this morning. I understand that you were probably not putting your full attention on what I said so I will repeat myself. If you had used either of your kekkei genkai's then everyone would have known that you were not a Haruno and a lot of people's eyes would be set on you. Orochimaru might have tried to 'recruit' you if-" Itachi suddenly stopped himself. He shouldn't have said that. He really shouldn't have said that.

Itachi noticed how Sakura started to tense at the mention of Sasuke and Orochimaru. He knew that she had been wondering if she could have made a difference if she had had the powers of her kekkei genkai's, if she would have been able to stop Orochimaru from getting to Sasuke. And now he had just told her that it would have happened like that. He had been an idiot to say something like that. But he had just been trying to convince Sakura of the danger she would have been in if he hadn't put that seal on her. But by the looks of it, Sakura had forgotten all about the seal and her anger.

To say it had hurt her to hear Itachi say something like that would be an understatement. She had felt her heart clench and her eyes fill with tears. All because of Sasuke. He was always and, it looked like, always would be her biggest weakness. She had always wanted to help him in some way. And to say that he wasn't a big reason as to why she decided to become a medical nin would have been a complete lie. She had done that in hopes of one day been able to help him. That's all she ever wanted to do. And while it hurt her to know that she hadn't, the idea that she was trying her best and giving all she had and she was simply too weak, always seemed to comfort her, at least a little. But now that she knew that she did have the power to help him, she felt worse than every before. The memories of all the times Sasuke had been in trouble rushed into her head. And she couldn't help but start to think of scenarios on how things would have been different if she had been able to use her kekkei genkai.

"I didn't mean it like that, Sakura," Itachi whispered to her after a while. "Orochimaru would have still tried to get his hands on Sasuke. It's just that he would have also tried to take you with him-" Itachi, again, mentally slapped himself. That most definitely didn't help her. He knew that Sakura had even suggested to Sasuke that he take her with him. Itachi decided to do no more damage and just keep his mouth shut.

Sakura couldn't help but to feel even worse with Itachi's words. She knew he was trying to help her feel better and was just failing miserably. Sakura let out a deep breathe and took advantage of her new found control. She pushed all thoughts and feelings about Sasuke out of her head, and made herself focus solely on getting answers. "Can it be undone?" Sakura asked, looking up at him.

Itachi hesitated for a moment giving her a sad look. He knew that Sakura loved his little brother and that it must be hard for her to go through all of this. The fact that Sakura was making such a huge effort to keep her emotions in check, told him that he had made the right choice. "Yes," Itachi answered, after a few moments of silence. "But, first," Itachi said, standing up, "you need to learn another jutsu."

"And that would be?" Sakura asked, also getting up.

"The shadow clone technique."

"Are you crazy?" Sakura exclaimed. "That's a B-ranked technique. Jonins learn that. I'm not even a chunin yet!"

"I know that," Itachi responded. "But it is essentially for our training for you to be able to perform this jutsu."

"Why?" Sakura asked, trying to keep her cool and not scream at Itachi that he was an idiot.

"When I unlock the seal, both of your kekkei genkai's will be activated and we will need a lot of time for you to train and learn how to control those kekkei genkai's." Itachi calmly explained, seeing as she slowly started to understand. "It would be too dangerous for you to be in the village without having learned to control your powers."

Sakura let out a deep sigh, not being able to argue with Itachi's logic. He knew perfectly well that she would never do anything to harm the village. And he was using that to his advantage. "Alright," Sakura said. "Let's start."

"Right," Itachi answered. "But I won't go easy on you." Sakura let out a groan when she heard that.

* * *

><p><em>He hadn't been kidding...<em>

Sakura lay on the floor, panting from exhaustion. They had spent almost the entire day there and she still hadn't been able to make a shadow clone. The sun was setting and Sakura briefly wondered if anyone had noticed she was gone. Itachi had been brutal, and, for once, had made it very clear that he was an Uchiha. He hadn't given her any sort of break throughout the entire day. His face was always set in a scowl and he never seemed to take much consideration for her well-being. Every single time she wasn't able to perform the jutsu he wouldn't even wait for her to recover.

"Get up," Itachi said, in a cold tone. Sakura took in another deep breath, and slowly pushed herself off the floor. Her hands trembled as she started to push up. She knew that any moment she would collapse on the floor. Her chakra level was very low, but she had never once complained. She had been surprised when he had really been a heartless bastard to her, and yet she still didn't say a word about it. He hadn't expected her to be _this_ determined. Itachi had to remind himself that she had more than enough motivations to want to get stronger. And it seemed like she was continuing on pure will power.

Once Sakura was on her feet, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her chakra. Then she quickly formed the hand seals: ram-serpent-tiger. As she was doing that, she kept Sasuke's face of the few times he had actually appeared happy in her head.

There was a puff of smoke next to her, and a smirk formed on Itachi's lips. Next to Sakura was an exact copy of her. Itachi couldn't even tell which one was which with his Sharingan. It had taken her longer than he would have liked for her to accomplish the jutsu, and while part of him thought it best for them to continue with the training, the more reasonable part told him to let her rest for the night. She did deserve it.

"You can dispel the clone, now," Itachi said, in a monotone voice. The words hadn't even left his mouth before the clown disappeared and Sakura fell to her knees panting, but with a small smile on her lips. Itachi walked over to where Sakura was sitting and bent down in front of her. Sakura looked up when she saw his feet. Itachi poked her in the forehead with his index and middle finger. "Good job," Itachi said before standing up and offering Sakura a hand. Sakura gave Itachi a small smile and let him help her up.

Though, truth be told, she honestly didn't have much of a choice. Not even the few sessions she had with Tsunade had prepared her for this. Itachi showed her no mercy and she had a feeling that he wasn't being as harsh as he could- and would be. She would have probably collapsed if Itachi weren't holding on to her. Sakura closed her eyes for a few moments, trying to catch her breath. When she opened her eyes again, she was already in her room. She looked around and then looked up at Itachi, ready to ask him how they had gotten there so quickly.

"Thought you were too tired to walk," Itachi explained, as he slowly let go of her. Sakura just managed to nod her head, still a little shocked.

"I think I'm going to go take a shower," Sakura mumbled, as she headed for the bathroom. She suddenly stopped and looked back at Itachi. Itachi just raised an eyebrow at her actions. "I have nothing to change into," Sakura said as she made her way to the bed instead.

"Have you checked the dresser," Itachi asked her. Now it was Sakura's turn to raise an eyebrow.

"No," she stated, looking at the piece of furniture. "Why?"

"Go and look," Itachi told her. Sakura didn't even bother to question him any further ad walked over to the dresser. Once there, she opened it and was very surprised to see that it had many different pairs of clothing. "I apologize if it's not your style, but I wasn't sure what to get," Itachi told her, just the slightest bit embarrassed. Sakura looked through all of the clothes and found that there was mainly solid colored T-shirts but in various styles. Sakura was actually looking forward to wearing some of them, but she just choice a baggy, navy blue T-shirt and a pair of black shorts.

"The clothes are actually pretty nice," Sakura told Itachi as she turned around. "Thank you," she said with a big smile on her face. Itachi only managed to nod.

"I think I'll go make us something to eat in the mean time," he mumbled as he left the room. As soon as he was out of the room, Sakura let her knees buckle and she fell to the floor. She had been using all of her strength just to look strong in front of him, though she thought he already knew. Sakura let out a sigh and turned back to the dresser. She opened another drawer and a slight blush covered her face. She really, really hoped Itachi hadn't bought that. Sakura got the undergarments she would need and, with much trouble, got off the floor and walked to the bathroom.

Sakura closed the door behind her and made her way to the bathroom. She quickly made her way to the shower and started the water. Sakura made sure the water was cold before starting to undress. Once she didn't have any more clothes on, she stepped into the shower and flinched from how cold the water was. Sakura quickly moved all of her body under the showerhead and waited for her body to get accustomed to the cold water. All her muscles started to relax and after a while Sakura finally started to move.

As she was shampooing her hair, Sakura remembered the conversation that she had had with Itachi. She hadn't had much time to actually think about the entire story, but her mind quickly went to one fact: she was an Uchiha. Her father had been an Uchiha so now she knew she had his blood ruining through her veins. Itachi had already told her that she hadn't gotten any of the techniques of the Uchiha Clan, especially not their kekkei genkai, but that didn't mean she wasn't part of them in a way.

Sakura began to scrub herself with soap but the action was almost unconscious because her mind was filled with so many other thoughts. She wasn't sure whether she should be proud of the fact that she was an Uchiha or not. Sure, they were once one of the strongest clans in the ninja world and all of their members were known to be strong. But they had been planning to attack the village. They hadn't even wanted to know anything about her.

With that thought, Sakura's heart clenched. She knew that they might not even have known about her existence but it still hurt to know that they had rejected her. And now Sakura thought about all of the family members that _she _had lost that night. Whether either of them knew it or not, they were family. And Sakura couldn't help but feel sad about their deaths. She should have had a chance to meet her grandparents or uncles and aunts.

Though Sakura didn't feel mad at Itachi for what he did, she couldn't help but feel empty inside because she knew so little about everything in her life. She didn't know her parents, she didn't know the power they had given her, and she most definitely didn't know how to control that power. Sakura fought back the urge to cry. Crying wouldn't bring any of them back. She had lost them and now she needed to live with that fact.

And even though she didn't know her parents or grandparents or any of the Uchiha's, she mourned their deaths and missed them terribly. Sakura quickly finished with her shower, not wanting to think about any of that stuff anymore.

But once she was feeling better, she needed to ask Itachi about her parents, or at least her father.

* * *

><p><em>"Orochimaru and Madara both have plenty of reasons to try and take revenge on you,"<em> Utatane told him, again.

_"I'm aware of that,"_ Itachi thought. He was currently in the kitchen making some curry. He had decided to inform the Elders of what had happened and now found himself on the verge of arguing with them over who could have killed the spies. Itachi was thankful that they couldn't see how annoyed he was getting._ "But it isn't in Madara's best interest to harm Akatsuki. After all, he's the one that is actually running it."_

_"And what excuse do you have for Orochimaru?"_ Utatane asked. Itachi could tell that she was also pretty close to screaming at him.

_"I'm not making up excuses for anyone,"_ Itachi snapped. He paused for a moment in order to control his temper. _"I'm just trying to explain that I don't think that it was Madara or Orochimaru."_

_"Then who do you think it is?"_ Mitokado asked. He was usually the only one that was able to keep his cool in these types of situations.

_"I have no idea,"_ Itachi answered. _"And that's what worries me the most."_

_"Well, then it looks like we have to hurry things along even more than we had planned,"_ Mitokado told him. Itachi let out a deep sigh as he turned off the stove.

_"Yeah,"_ he answered.

_"How was the training?"_ Utatane asked.

_"It was well,"_ Itachi answered. _"At the end she was able to make a shadow clone. Tomorrow we'll practice on making it last longer. Then after one or two days of just testing it out, I'll remove the fuinjutsu."_ Itachi grabbed to plates out of one of the cabinets and set them on the table.

_"You really think she'll be ready in such a short amount of time? And I'm not referring to the physical aspects but the mental ones,"_ Mitokado explained. Itachi stopped what he was doing and stared at the counter in front of him. He knew that using a shadow clone for that long of a time span and having it be able to resist so many attacks would take a big toll on Sakura since she wouldn't be too prepared for the on slaughter of memories and pain. And Itachi also knew that Mitokado was referring to all the new information Sakura had received in this short period of time. He knew that her head must be filled with so many different thoughts that she would probably not even know how to handle twice as much.

_"Whether she's ready or not, we'll have to continue,"_ Itachi said in a firm voice. He could feel Utatane and Mitokado's uneasiness, but he decided to ignore that. He knew that it might be best to wait a few more days instead of going all out right after everything that had happened and he truly was worried that it would be too much for her, but they just didn't have enough time and Itachi needed to make an unbiased decision.

_"If you think that's best,"_ Utatane mumbled.

_"I do, and that is what we will do,"_ Itachi stated with finality.

"So, what's for dinner?" Sakura asked as she walked into the room. Itachi looked over his shoulder at her and was happy to see that she had regained some energy.

"Curry," he answered. _"I have to go. I'll see the two of you tomorrow,"_ Itachi told them.

_"Very well, then,"_ Utatane answered. Itachi then cut off the connection and moved over to the table to put the two plates of curry down.

"Wow," Sakura said as she walked over to the table and saw the plates. "This looks great."

"Why so surprised?" Itachi asked, a mocking tone in his voice. Sakura blushed slightly at his question.

"Well, I didn't mean to say that I thought you couldn't cook, it's just..." Sakura trailed of when she couldn't think of anything to say. Itachi chuckled as he noticed how embarrassed she was.

"I was kidding," he said as he sat down. Sakura sat down and quickly began to eat the food that was on her plate. She hadn't eaten all day other than the breakfast she had in the morning.

"This is great," Sakura told him, through a mouthful of food.

"I'm glad you like it," Itachi said. The rest of the time spent eating was in silence. Sakura had many questions that she wanted to ask Itachi but decided to ask him later. It didn't take long for them to both finish eating and once they were done Sakura went into the kitchen to start to wash the dishes. After a short discussion, Itachi left to go and take a shower and let Sakura cleaned the kitchen.

Sakura thought of the best way to bring up the subject of her parents. She knew she was probably over thinking things. When she did ask Itachi, there was a very big chance that he might say that he didn't even know them. Sakura let out a deep sigh and walked over to her bedroom once she was done in the kitchen. She went to sit on the bed and looked up at the moon through the large windows on the wall next to the bed. Itachi had done a lot for her. He had opened her eyes to the truth and was going to help her get stronger. Sakura could tell that even though he was against what the Uchiha Clan had been planning, he still loved them and felt proud to be a part of them. Sakura wanted to return the favor somehow. She just couldn't think of something.

Itachi came into the room then, brining Sakura out of her thoughts. "I hope you don't mind that I stay her tonight," Itachi told her. He was drying his hair with a towel and Sakura barely then realized how long it really was.

"No problem," Sakura told him with a small smile. It surprised her how much trust Sakura had towards him since the very beginning. Sakura reasoned that it must have something to do with the memories she lost when she was a kid. Her subconscious was probably telling her that she could trust Itachi unconditionally. And he really hadn't done anything that made Sakura think she shouldn't trust him. Even if it seemed like Itachi was hiding a lot of things from her. Besides that, Itachi always came off as being the big brother type and something in Sakura just told her that he would never try anything.

Itachi walked over to the bed and flopped down on the other side. Sakura just rolled her eyes at him but then remembered what she had been thinking about and nervously looked down at her hands in her lap. Itachi glanced over at her and noticed that she seemed nervous. He was about to suggest that he sleep on the floor in order for her to be more comfortable but then she spoke.

"Itachi," Sakura said looking up at him, "did...did you know my father?" she asked, just above a whisper.

Itachi gave her a sad smile. He was expecting her to ask him that, but he didn't think it would be so soon. "Yes, I did," Itachi answered. He noticed how Sakura's eyes brightened at his answer. "I was only five years old when he met your mother. His name was Isamu. He was a very strong and intelligent man. One of the best ninjas we had. The fact that none of the Uchiha's were present during the Kyubi's attack made the Haruno's even more sure that they had had something to do with the ninja they lost."

"But didn't you say that both my parents died that day," Sakura asked.

"Yes, but that didn't stop them from jumping to conclusions. And it wasn't only the Haruno's that thought that way. Everyone in the village became even more suspicious of us after that night."

"Tell me more about him," Sakura asked, wanting to change the subject from something that was obviously bothering Itachi.

"Isamu was an honest and courageous man. He was well respected by all the Uchiha's and the villagers. I heard that he had close ties with the Third but that none of the Uchiha's were ever suspicious of him. I remember seeing him as this cold hearted person."

"What a surprise," Sakura mumbled. Though Itachi heard it and chuckled.

"It must be in our genes," Itachi answered. "Though he helped me master a kunai technique one day. I was practicing out on the training grounds and he was walking by and noticed I was having some trouble with it. He gave me some pointers and on the first try I was able to do it. I thanked him and he just pocked me in the head with his index and middle finger. From that day on, every time I saw him he would do that. " Itachi stared up at the ceiling and smiled at the memory. "One day I got really annoyed, and since no one else was around, I asked him why he did that. He just bent down until he was eye level with me and told me that ninjas were never supposed to show emotion. I told him I already knew that. Then he smiled and poked me in the forehead again. I was too shocked by the fact that he had smiled to even scream at him for poking me again. 'That's my way of showing affection,' is what he said before turning around and leaving."

Sakura unconsciously touched her forehead and remembered the times Itachi had poked her. "A couple of days later, the clan found out about what happened between Isamu and Sayuri, your mother. Everything was tense in the Uchiha Clan, but every time I saw Isamu, he would still poke me on the forehead. A few months passed and Sasuke was born. After that I talked to Isamu again. He told me he'd probably have to leave the village if he couldn't convince the others to accept Sayuri. I told him that I would miss him and that I was sure that he would be a great father. Then the Kyubi attacked, and I never saw him again." Itachi kept on staring at the ceiling a couple minutes afterwards, as if recalling everything that had happened.

Sakura just stared at her hands, going over all the new information she had gotten about her father. He had been a good man, and Sakura was more than relieved to hear that. She wasn't sure how she would have felt if Itachi had told her he had wanted to destroy Konoha. Sakura felt her eyelids get heavy and her head started to fall towards the pillow.

"Looks like it's time we go to sleep," Itachi said, as he saw how Sakura could barely keep her eyelids open. Sakura just managed a nod before she got under the covers and rested her head on the pillow.

"Night," Sakura mumbled before letting her eyes close.

"Night," Itachi repeated as he also covered himself with the covers.

* * *

><p><em>Sakura was in a dark room with nothing in it, except the chair she was sitting on. She heard footsteps behind her and a shiver ran down her spine. She was covered in bruises and cuts. Her clothes were all tinted red because of the blood. Her hands were tied behind her back and she had to fight hard not to scream out in pain with ever little move she made.<em>

_"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" A cold and heartless voice asked behind her. Sakura trembled. Her heart was pounding with fear and she could barely hear herself think thanks to the loud pounding it made._

Sakura turned her head to the other side and moved a little in her sleep.

_Sakura was screaming from all of the pain. Tears kept running down her face. "Don't try and tell my that you don't like this?" Madara grunted as he kept thrusting into her. Sakura kept on screaming from the intense pain. She just couldn't keep quiet. The pain was too much for her. Sakura tried to focus on something else. Anything that would make her forget about what she was living. But absolutely everything reminded her of what was happening. The bed creaked in time with Madara's thrusts and grunts of pleasure. He wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was enjoying this even more because of the simple fact that she was in pain._

**_How can I pretend that I don't see_**  
><strong><em>What you hide so carelessly?<em>**

Sakura began to tremble and she began to mumble things in her sleep.

_Suddenly Sakura was on the floor. Her entire body was covered in rope. She saw how Orochimaru slowly ran a kunai across a woman's throat. She heard the screams from all the people around her. Heard the little girl calling out for her mom and screaming at Sakura that this was all her fault. Sakura let out a shaky breathe that sounded more like a sob. Orochimaru turned around and smiled at Sakura when he heard her._

**_I saw her bleed_**  
><strong><em>You heard me breathe<em>**

_Sakura watched helplessly as Orochimaru began to kill off all of the Haruno's that were in the room. Sakura just couldn't believe that she had to relive all of this. Everything felt so real. Every scream, every drop of blood, every nasty look and hateful remark. She could hear and see everything perfectly. Sakura couldn't turn away from the horrific scene but she completely shut down. She just couldn't bear to see that anymore. She disconnected herself from all of her emotions and all of her memories._

**_And I froze inside myself_**  
><strong><em>And turned away<em>**  
><strong><em>I must be dreaming<em>**

_Sakura started to feel something start to build inside of her. Hatred. She started to feel hatred towards Orochimaru and Madara. They had no right to do this to them. The Haruno Clan might not have been all that great to her, but they had never done anything that would make them deserve what they went through._

**_We all live  
><em>** **_We all die  
><em>** **_That does not begin to justify you_**

_"That's what they did to my clan."_

Sakura's entire body trembled and a small layer of sweat covered her body. "No," Sakura mumbled again.

_In front of her stood Sasuke. He was covered in blood, but Sakura soon realized that it wasn't his. Sakura looked down his body and noticed that he was holding the limp body of a young boy in his hand. Sakura felt tears start to accumulate in her eyes. "My clan didn't deserve to die how they did," Sasuke sternly told her. He dropped the boy's limp body and walked over to her. He bent down and gripped her neck tight enough to be able to pull her back up on her feet. Sakura watched as the curse mark slowly began to take form on his body. "And they most definitely didn't deserve to die at his hands!" Sasuke screamed in her face. Sasuke's eyes turned blood red as he activated his Sharingan._

_Everything around them began to disappear and turn black. "And now your helping the man that caused me so much pain!" Sasuke's grip on her throat tightened. Sakura tried to open her mouth and speak but she could barely breathe. Everything felt so real. She felt Sasuke's hand around her throat and his breathe on her face. And the fear she felt from the possibility of dying by Sasuke's hand seemed even more real. She wished she could talk to him and explain everything._

**_It's not what it seems_**  
><strong><em>Not what you think<br>_** **_No, I must be dreaming_**

_"You betrayed me!" Sasuke yelled at her. Sakura closed her eyes as she felt the tears run down her face. She told herself over and over again that this couldn't be happening. There was no way that Sasuke could actually be there, choking her. Itachi would have stopped him by now. He would have down something. "Why do you want him to come and save you!" Sasuke screamed again, as if he had just read her mind. "Are you that scared of me? Do you believe that I'm a monster now?" Sakura frantically shook her head. Both as a response and as a vain effort to try and wake up because this just had to be a nightmare._

**_It's only in my mind_**  
><strong><em>Not the real life<br>_** **_No, I must be dreaming_**

_"How can you possibly deny it?" Sasuke asked, shaking her back and forth abruptly. "Look at me! Look at what I've done!" Sakura refused to do either. "With a simple flick of my wrist I could kill you!" Sasuke said as his grip tightened on her. Sakura trembled at the sound of his voice. "See," Sasuke said, having noticed the tremble. "You do fear me."_

**_I fear you_**  
><strong><em>But spoken fears can come true<em>**

_"I don't," Sakura gasped out._

_"You're lying," Sasuke said. He moved his face closer to hers. "I am going to train with Orochimaru and I will get stronger. Just wait and see what happens. I will kill Itachi. I'll take revenge for my clan. He deserves to die because of what he's done!" Sakura kept on shaking her head no, as Sasuke continued to yell at her._

**_We all live (and)_**  
><strong><em>We all die (but)<br>_** **_That does not begin to justify you_**

_Sasuke's grip started to get unbearably tight around her neck. "Stop defending him!" He screamed as he kept on tightening his grip. "I hate you!"_

Sakura was moving around on the bed. She was sweating and trembling. "No," she mumbled once more but this time a bit louder.

Itachi felt Sakura's movements and turned around to see what was wrong. He saw Sakura restless and trembling. He moved his hand to her shoulder and shook her a little. "Sakura?" he quietly asked.

"No, no, no," Sakura kept mumbling. "No!" Sakura screamed, suddenly sitting up right and panting. She moved her hand to her throat and she could have sworn to have still been able to feel Sasuke's hand there.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" Itachi asked, putting his arm around her. Sakura looked back at him as if she barely remembered that he was there. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Itachi didn't say anything else and just wrapped his arms around her. He leaned back against the pillows and covered Sakura's body with the covers. "It's okay," Itachi mumbled into her hair. "It was just a dream."

Itachi kept mumbling soft words to her until she fell asleep. Itachi noticed that her breathing was even and that her grip on his neck had finally loosened. He moved a little in order to get into a more comfortable position and then closed his eyes.

_I hope she's able to sleep soundly now..._ Itachi thought as he, too, fell asleep.

* * *

><p><strong>I'd like to say that my prayers go out to all of the people that lost their lives this day ten years ago and all the people that lost loved ones that day as well. I'd also like to thank all of the heros we had that day, both the ones that live and lost their lives that day. You will never be forgotten.<strong>

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter and please review**.


	10. Kekkei Genkai Unlocked

Chapter 10  
>Kekkei Genkai Unlocked<p>

He was destroyed.

It was plain and simple. Various bones in his body were fractured and a few even broken. He had cuts and bruises throughout his entire body and he was losing chakra quickly. He should have stopped. He should have given up and called it a day.

But there was no way in hell that stubborn, arrogant, self-centered Uchiha Sasuke would ever admit defeat. He'd rather die than give up. Though if he kept this up, he had a feeling he would.

Two kunais appeared out of nowhere and were aimed at him. Sasuke was barely able to move out of the way fast enough to avoid one of them but the other made another small cut on his right arm as it grazed him. Sasuke cursed under his breath, but one or two more cuts didn't really make a difference now.

He quickly forced his body to move behind a tree. Once there, he slid down to the floor trying to regain his breathing. He kept still for a little while, making sure there were no enemies around. Though either he was distracted or just so tired that he wasn't as good as he could have been, but Sasuke was completely caught of guard when dozens of kunais and shuriken came flying towards him.

Sasuke took out a kunai from the pouch on his lower back and tried to redirect as many kunais and shuriken as he could. His arm started to tense. One too many weapons were able to hit him. He tried to keep up the pace with his hand, but it felt like it was going to come clean off if he didn't rest soon. He tried his hardest to forget about the pain he was feeling and leave that for later.

Sasuke allowed for his hand to fall back down to the floor once no more kunai were flying towards him. He tried to stand up but his legs trembled so much that he wasn't able to. Sasuke let out a frustrated growl. In his mind, he hadn't spent that much time training and he was annoyed that he was this tired already. But in reality, he had spent two days out in that forest fighting for his life.

Sasuke looked up at the sky. His mind started to come up with scenarios for what might happen next and what he should do in every possible scenario. But against his will, his mind started to wonder about completely different things.

Sasuke closed his eyes as he began to remember his last days in Konoha. He tried to push all of the memories away but he just couldn't. Especially the last conversation he had with a certain kunoichi. Sasuke had thought about the reason to why he had done the things the way he had done them.

Sasuke had often spent a lot of time wondering why he had said those words. He should have just knocked her out without another thought. He shouldn't have even bothered to listen to her to begin with. Things wouldn't have been any different if a search party had been sent right after they left or in the morning like they had. The result would have been the same.

Everything with Naruto made so much more sense to him. Sure, he had his doubts on whether he should have killed him right there or not. But his reasons for not doing so were clear. He wasn't going to give Itachi the pleasure to do what he had told him to do. He was going to beat Itachi without the Mangekyo Sharingan and prove to him that he didn't need it in order to defeat him.

But the reasons for why he did what he did with Sakura were so unclear. She didn't mean anything to him. So why the hell had he done that? He had known perfectly well that Sakura had feelings for him. But her screaming them at him as she cried was something he wasn't expecting. He knew that he didn't care what she felt but he had felt something with her words. For a split second he had actually considered them to be true. But they couldn't be true. No one could love someone like him. And even if they were true, he didn't care.

Sasuke slowly began to let the need for sleep and rest over power him and he started to fall asleep. His rest didn't last long, though. Sasuke soon began to tremble as a very familiar memory started to form in his mind. Ever since Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru, his dreams were plagued with Itachi and the murder of his clan.

A few minutes passed as Sasuke remembered everything that had happened that horrible night. Though he did try to stay awake in case anything happened, his body was just too tired. After the nightmare finally ended, Sasuke slept without any more dreams disturbing him.

As the sun started to rise, Sasuke was still asleep. A bush nearby rustled, but Sasuke still didn't wake up. Slowly, a giant snake came out from behind the bush. It was almost the same size as the snake Sasuke had faced in the Forest of Death. The snake looked over at Sasuke and started to move towards him.

Sasuke was too exhausted to actually sense anything. The snake started to get closer and closer.

And then, it attacked.

* * *

><p>It was the early hours of the morning and the sun hadn't risen yet. Sakura was still peacefully sleeping with her head on Itachi's chest. Sakura's dreams were a lot more peaceful now. Her mind was filled with thoughts about Sasuke and memories of when they were on Team 7. Sakura let out a content sigh in her sleep.<p>

She was thinking about Sasuke so much that she started to wonder where he was. Her dream took a weird turn. Suddenly, she was in the middle of a forest. She couldn't recognize the area but she somehow knew where she needed to go. Sakura started walking through the tall, looming trees.

A few minutes later, Sakura was rounding a tree but she stopped dead in her tracks once she saw what was behind, better said, who was behind the tree. Sakura couldn't even remember how to breathe or move. She was rooted to her spot. Her eyes started to glisten over with tears. She just stared at Sasuke's body covered in blood and with various weapons penetrating him. He wasn't moving, and Sakura was over come by fear that he could be dead.

Sakura forgot that this was supposed to be a dream. She just couldn't be there. This couldn't be real. But a voice inside her head told her this was real. And the shock of seeing Sasuke like this sent reason flying out the window.

"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted as she knelt down near him. When she reached a hand out to touch him, her hand went right through him. Sakura couldn't understand why she couldn't touch him. She was only a few centimeters away from him now, so Sakura could tell that he was breathing. Sakura let out a sigh of relief when she saw that he was breathing but was still greatly confused as to why she couldn't touch him.

Sakura reached out for him again, but she still couldn't touch him. Sakura was quickly getting angry. She was right there in front of him but yet she couldn't touch him. Which meant that she couldn't heal him or help him in anyway.

A bush in front of them rustled, and Sakura quickly looked over at it. She could sense that something was behind it. She let all reason leave her and listened to the little voice in her head. The voice was telling her that this was real. She might not be there physically but she was there mentally. The voice was telling her that something dangerous was behind that bush.

As if wanting to prove her right, a giant snake came up from behind the tree. Well...maybe giant wasn't quite the right word. Enormous sounded much better. The snake reminded Sakura of her time in the Forest of Death. She noticed in horror as the snake spotted Sasuke. She looked back at him and was very disappointed to see that he was still sleeping. He must have been exhausted not to feel the snake's presence, even if he was asleep.

"S-s-sasuke-kun..." Sakura said in a whisper as she stared at the snake. "Sasuke," she said a bit louder, looking at him. She reached out to try and shake him but her hands went right through him. She noticed that the snake was getting closer and closer. "Sasuke-kun, you have to wake up!" Sakura screamed at him in a vain attempt to get him to wake up. "Sasuke-kun please wake up!" She watched in horror as the snake got ready to attack. Her face was covered in tears by now. "SASUKE!"

Sakura was barely able to see Sasuke's eyes pop open, as if he had actually heard her that time, before the snake struck.

Sakura quickly opened her eyes. She was back in her bedroom. Her heart was pounding inside her chest and her breathing was labored. Sakura looked over at Itachi and was surprised to find herself lying on his chest. She started to panic, unable to remember why she was wrapped in his arms.

Then everything that had happened last night came back to her quickly and hard. The horrible nightmares had flooded her mind. Sakura stayed perfectly still for a few minutes before deciding that she couldn't and wouldn't allow those nightmares to affect her- no matter how real they had seemed.

Her newfound determination surprised even her. But then she remembered her most recent "dream" and she started to panic again. She didn't know whether it really had happened but she was worried about Sasuke. Everything had seemed so real. Yes, she had been unable to actually touch anything but other than that everything felt real. Something inside her just knew it was real and Sakura thought it was smart to listen to the little voice.

Itachi began to shift under her and Sakura returned her attention to him. She watched as Itachi slowly opened one eye and then quickly closed it. Sakura couldn't help but giggle when she heard Itachi groan and start to stretch. "Someone isn't a morning person," Sakura stated as she sat up in bed. Itachi blinked at her a couple of times before giving her a small smile.

"Not really," Itachi responded, as he also sat up. He looked at her and his smile disappeared. "You feeling better?" he asked her.

Sakura just nodded. "Thanks for taking care of me," Sakura said as she gave him a small smile.

"No problem," Itachi told her as he watched her get out of bed and head over to the bathroom. "What day is it today?" Itachi asked as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Uuuhhhmmmm," Sakura said as she walked out of the bathroom. She still had her toothbrush in her mouth, though. She went over to her nightstand and opened the top drawer. She moved all of the gifts she had gotten yesterday aside and took out a calendar. She looked at the last day marked and started counting in her head. "September first," she stated after a few seconds. She threw the calendar over near Itachi and walked back over to the bathroom. "Why?" Itachi barely heard her ask.

Itachi didn't even bother to answer. He quickly grabbed the calendar and started to double check Sakura's math. When Sakura didn't receive an answer, she left the bathroom to find Itachi glaring at the calendar. "Something wrong?" Sakura asked, walking over to the bed.

"I guess you could say that," Itachi mumbled. He looked up at her and handed her the calendar. Sakura took it but kept her eyes on Itachi. "Today is Utatane's birthday."

"Is that something bad?" Sakura asked. She might not have known the full extent of Itachi's relationship with the Elders, but, from what she could see, Itachi had a fairly good relationship with them.

"I wouldn't say it's 'bad,'" Itachi said as he started to get off of the bed. "But it sure doesn't bring any good memories for her..." Itachi just stared at a spot to her right. Sakura didn't understand what was happening, but her curiosity was about to get the better of her.

Before Sakura could even open her mouth to say something, Itachi looked over at her and said, "But that's a story for another time." Sakura didn't even try to fight the disappointed look on her face. "Why don't you get ready and go over to the clearing and start training? I'll meet you there later, alright?"

Itachi might have said that in the form of a question, but Sakura had a feeling that she didn't have much of a say in it. "Yeah, sure," Sakura said as she turned around and went straight into the bathroom.

"I won't be long," Sakura heard Itachi say through the closed door.

Sakura waited until she heard Itachi close the front door and she could no longer feel his chakra. Once she was sure he wasn't coming back, Sakura collapsed to the floor with her back against the bathroom door.

She wasn't sure why, but she didn't want to have to tell Itachi about this. He had kept so many secrets from her that it almost felt fair to her that she keep this from him.

"_But it has to do with his brother..." _Sakura's Inner told her. Sakura groaned. She knew that Itachi could probably reassure her that her dreams meant nothing and that Sasuke was not dealing with that horrible snake. But even as she thought that, Sakura knew that it wasn't true. What she saw was real. And all she could do was hope that Sasuke had had enough time to dodge the attack.

Sakura let out a deep breath and just decided not to trouble Itachi with her stupid dreams. Sakura looked up at the bathroom from her spot at the door. The walls were white and there were only the essential things that one might need. Itachi had already told her that they would go out and try to buy some new furniture for her new apartment once she was feeling better, but it seemed like she was never going to feel better. She didn't understand how she could think about what color furniture to buy when she had so many new things to think about.

Like her real family. She wanted to know so badly what they were like. She wished she could have met them and been with them. She wished everything in her life were simpler. Ever since Itachi had told her who her real family was, she felt a big hole inside of herself. She knew that it was because in some weird way she was missing a piece of herself. And that hole inside of her could only be filled with the love and happiness that a family would bring.

But even before that small hole formed inside her heart, she already had a bigger hole. And the cause of it was Sasuke. There were moments, like this one, when she was all alone and left to think about things that she would rather not think about, that she wished that she could forget about Sasuke. She knew that it wasn't a good thing to be so damn attached to him. To love him the way she did.

But she couldn't do anything about it. She loved him with all her heart, and at that moment, nothing in the world could ever change that. And a part of her didn't want it to change. If she ever stopped loving him, then Sasuke would have been right. He believed that no one could love him because he was a monster. And he would think that he was right if she ever stopped loving him.

But the thing was that no one orders around the heart. It loves whom it loves and there is very little she could do about that. Sakura got up from the floor and turned on the water in the shower.

It would do here little good to think about that stuff now.

* * *

><p>Itachi patiently waited outside the house. He was standing on a branch of a tree in the back yard and was concealed by the leaves. He was far enough away that the people inside the house couldn't hear him, but he could hear them.<p>

"You're right," a voice from inside said. "I've been asking myself the same thing."

"It doesn't make any sense Kakashi," Asuma told him. "Infiltrating the village is a difficult task on it's on. Hiding a kunoichi from dozens of Anbu and jonin search teams makes things that much harder. Why would he go to all the trouble?"

"You have to remember that he was in Anbu and that he must know the weaknesses Konoha's defense has," Kakashi told him. Itachi wasn't at all scared that Asuma would tell Kakashi about him, but it was dangerous that Asuma was feeding the fire that was Kakashi's suspicion towards him.

"Even so it isn't easy," Asuma insisted.

"There isn't much we can do about that now," Kakashi said. "I'm going to keep a close eye on Sakura from now on to make sure that she's alright."

"That seems like a good idea."

"See you." After that, Itachi only heard silence. He was contemplating confronting Asuma about his little plan. After all, Asuma didn't have much reason to trust him with the little information he gave him.

After another few minutes, Asuma opened the back door and stepped out. He blinked quickly a couple of times in surprise when Itachi suddenly appeared in front of him, but other than that, he took Itachi's visit much better than last time.

"Asuma," Itachi greeted in a monotone.

"Itachi," Asuma replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to make sure that you were keeping your promise," Itachi said. He was more than satisfied to know that Asuma was surprised, and just a bit scared. "Looks like you weren't." _Now it's more than just a little,_ Itachi thought. He had to fight back a smirk when he saw just how much Asuma feared him.

"I didn't break the promise I made the Elders," Asuma said after having controlled his emotions.

"But you are trying to complicate things for me and that's just as bad," Itachi told him.

"What are you doing here?" Asuma asked abruptly. Itachi had to fight back laughter at how uncomfortable Asuma was.

"I need to talk to you," Itachi said.

"About?" Asuma asked, not at all in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Danzo," Itachi told him.

"What about Danzo?"

"Have you ever seen him fight?" Itachi asked. Asuma was obviously taken aback by his question. He was trying very hard not to show any emotion around him or seem weak. He hated it, but he respected Itachi. At least he respected the things he did before the massacre. He knew Itachi was strong and he wasn't about to even think about going against him. Especially now that he knew that the Elders were on his side.

"No, I haven't," Asuma honestly answered. "Why?"

"I don't trust him," Itachi answered.

"And I don't trust you," Asuma blurted out before he could think twice about it. "So it looks like we both have to work with people that we don't trust."

Itachi just kept his mouth shut. He wasn't sure how far he could push the little 'respect' Asuma seemed to have towards him. Of course he had noticed that Asuma could be rude and not want to have 'small talk' with him, but he wasn't. And that could only mean that the respect that he had earned here in the village was still living on, at least in Asuma.

"Well," Itachi said as he turned around and started to walk back into he forest, "It's obvious that I have nothing more to do here."

Itachi was about to disappear when, "Wait!" Asuma called to him. Itachi just looked over his shoulder. "You better not hurt Sakura. If you do, it won't matter what people say about you, I will personally make you pay." Itachi didn't bother to say anything more and just disappeared.

Asuma kept looking at the spot where Itachi had just been a few moments ago. "What have I've gotten myself into, Dad?" he whispered into the wind.

* * *

><p>Sakura had been working on here cloning technique for a few hours now. Itachi had been building up her stamina, but it was obvious to Sakura that he wasn't really paying her much attention. "Is something wrong?" Sakura asked through pants.<p>

"Nothing is wrong," Itachi all but barked at her. His tone of voice reminded her so much of Sasuke. Itachi saw the surprised and hurt look Sakura was trying to hide and let out a deep sigh. "Things are going to start getting more difficult," he answered in a much nicer tone than he should have.

Sakura felt a little better once she heard his tone. She honestly was starting to believe that the words "I'm sorry" would never leave an Uchiha's lips. "How so?" she asked, very grateful for some type of break.

"It seems like you've finally mastered the clowning technique," Itachi said. "So, I think we should try and put the shadow clone to the test." Itachi said after a long pause.

"Do you really think that I'm ready for that?" Sakura said, doubting it.

"We'll never know until we try," he said. "Besides, we need to teach you to be able to control your kekkei genkai by the end of this week." Itachi started pacing back and force and Sakura patiently waited for him to think things through. "You have about 75% of your chakra left. Use about 30% on the clone."

Sakura hesitated a little. Itachi didn't seem so sure about his plan and he had been acting strangely all through the training session. But she did what she was told. It was easy for her to give the clone exactly the amount of chakra Itachi had asked her to. She had always been proud of her chakra control. It took a bit out of her but Sakura was able to make the clone.

"I don't know how long it'll take you to be able to control your kekkei genkai, but until you do, she'll have to stay in the village." The two Sakura's just looked at each other and the clone disappeared.

"_Not fair that she gets to rest,"_ Sakura thought to herself.

"First I'll unlock the seal," Itachi said as he walked towards her. "You're going to experience a huge increase in your chakra level. Try your best to control it," he told her. Sakura noticed that his index and middle finger on his right hand had started to glow red. Sakura stood perfectly still. She was a little afraid of what Itachi was going to do to her. Itachi poked her on the forehead like he said her father did to him and then…

Everything went black.

* * *

><p>Sakura was calmly walking around the village. She hadn't been out of her room much since she had returned. It brought her a strange sense of calm as she saw all the familiar sights. Sakura suddenly felt a very strange feeling. She turned around to look in the direction of the clearing. <em>The seal must have been released<em>, Sakura thought to herself.

She was contemplating going back to see how things were going, but she didn't have much time to think it through. Kiba was walking up to her. Sakura noticed that Akamaru was tucked away inside of Kiba's jacket. "Hey, Sakura," Kiba said, with a big smile on his face.

"Hi, Kiba," Sakura said. She couldn't help but feel a little awkward around him. Sure, she had known him since they were kids but they had never really talked. They weren't that close.

"How have you been?" he asked. Kiba was well aware that this could be a touchy subject for Sakura and she could hate him for trying to bring it up, but why the hell not try? He had a feeling that Sakura deserved to know what he wanted to tell her and to hell with everyone that thought he was been insensitive.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thank you," Sakura said.

"Are you busy?" Kiba suddenly blurted out.

Sakura blinked her eyes a couple of times. She wasn't sure if she had heard him right. "Huh?" was the brilliant statement she could utter.

"I want to talk to you about what happened," Kiba started. He was looking her right in the eyes, willing her to agree. "I think you should know. Though, I'll only be able to give you my point of view."

Sakura just stared at him. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. "If you don't want to know, I understand," Kiba said when Sakura didn't answer. He waited a little longer but there was still no response. Kiba nodded once when Sakura looked away. "Sorry for bothering you," Kiba mumbled as he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Sakura suddenly called out, and took a few more steps towards Kiba. Kiba turned around to look at her. "I want to know," she stated.

"Everything?" Kiba asked, raising an eyebrow. He wasn't about to have Sakura back down in the middle of his story because he said something about her dear Sasuke-kun.

"Everything," Sakura said, completely sure. She would have to handle whatever it was that Kiba was about to say because everything he would say would be the truth. And, thanks to recent events, the truth took on a whole new level of importance. Kiba was a bit surprised by how sure Sakura sounded.

"Follow me," Kiba said as he turned around and started walking somewhere. Sakura followed behind him. She wasn't sure what had caused the new change in Kiba. She knew him to be carefree, a bit like Naruto just less of an idiot. Whatever it was that he experienced on that last mission must have really affected him. Sakura turned to look back towards the clearing. _I hope everything is all right._

* * *

><p>Sakura started to feel something lightly hitting her cheek. Her head was spinning. The temperature had suddenly dropped many degrees. She was freezing! The ground she was laying on was also hard, or at least harder than the dirt floor she expected. Sakura tried to open her eyes but couldn't. "Sakura." She could vaguely hear someone calling her name. After a few more seconds of concentration, she recognized the voice as Itachi's. When she tried to open her eyes again, she was able to. The hand patting her cheek stopped. Sakura blinked a few times to get her eyes to adjust to the light. She slowly started to sit up and was relieved to not feel nauseous or dizzy. "Did you teleport us to the tip of a high mountain or something? It's freaking cold," Sakura said as she crossed her arms around her chest.<p>

"You did this," Itachi sated as he got off his knees and stood up.

"What are you talking...about..." Sakura trailed of as she looked around her. She looked to her right and as far as she could see the trees and ground were frozen solid. She quickly turned her head in the opposite direction. The small waterfall was frozen over, as was the river. On the other side, all of the trees were frozen. Everywhere she turned all she could see was ice. Cold, glistening ice...that she had created? Sakura tried to stand up. As she touched the floor with one hand, she saw that an extra layer of ice was added to the already stone hard floor. Sakura just stared at the floor for a little while and hesitantly put her other hand to the ground. More ice appeared.

Sakura quickly stood up and tried to walk away. As she did, every place that her feet touched more ice was formed. Sakura stopped dead in her tracks. "Try and control it," Itachi told her. Sakura looked behind her and saw that Itachi was standing on the frozen river not too far away from her. Sakura turned back around and closed her eyes. She tried to concentrate on her chakra and then noticed how great the increase was. Her chakra had almost doubled. She kept the excitement at bay and then started to remove chakra from her hands and feet. When she had as little chakra in her hands and feet, she took another step in front of her. Ice still formed, but it was a considerable improvement from before.

Sakura closed her eyes again and tried to think of a way to stop the ice from forming. She couldn't remove all the chakra from her hands or feet. _The Uchiha's and Hyuga's can activate their Sharingan and Byakugan at will. Haku could produce the ice at will too. Can it really be that simple?_ Sakura thought to herself. Well, she lost nothing from trying it. Sakura took another step forward but before she had her foot touch the ground in her head she said _I do not want any ice formed._

Sakura watched in amazement as no more new ice was formed. She knew it wouldn't be that simple, since she couldn't do that every single time she took a step, so she tried again. She made no direct command this time and acted as if she didn't have the ability to form ice. Sadly, ice was still produced. Less than usual but still something. "Damn," Sakura said under her breath.

"Why don't we try a different approach?" Itachi asked as he walked closer to her. Sakura took a few steps back, not wanting to freeze him. "You're not going to gain anything from being afraid of your new power," Itachi said, in the tone of voice Sakura know recognized he used when he was training her. "The best way to learn something quickly," he said as Sakura noticed that his hand moved to his back, "is out of desperation."

His hand moved so quickly that Sakura didn't even see it. All she saw was the kunai coming straight at her. She clumsily moved to her left in order to dodge the kunai. "What th-" Sakura didn't have time to finish her sentence because as soon as she looked back at Itachi, she saw three more kunais heading her way. She jumped backwards and was able to dodge them a lot better than before. She didn't bother with complaining. Sakura just got ready for the next attack.

But even though she was prepared this time, she wasn't able to dodge the punch Itachi gave her to the left side of her face. Sakura was sent flying with the force of the punch. Pain shot through her head. Before she could fall to the floor, Itachi appeared behind her and kicked her with as much force. The only thing Sakura could do was to bite her tongue in order not to scream. She collapsed on the hard, ice floor a few meters away from Itachi. The sharp points at some parts of the floor caused cuts on her arms and legs.

Itachi had trained her. But she had never trained with Itachi. And he was making it quite obvious how much of a difference there was. Sakura had no weapons on her- something she would make sure never happened again- so taking an offensive side was out of the question. Sakura just thought it was common sense to rule out hand-to-hand combat with Itachi from the very beginning. So defense was her best choice.

Sakura tried to pick herself up from the floor but the pain in her face and lower back was unexpected and very distracting. Sakura had no time to think about anything else because she suddenly heard Itachi coming at her again. Sakura looked up just in time to see Itachi's leg heading straight at her. Sakura was about to cover her face with her hands in order to protect herself but then she remembered her new powers. Sakura moved out of the way just before Itachi's leg would have made contact with her head.

Itachi then began with a serious of punches and kicks. Sakura focused all of her concentration on trying to dodge the majority of them. But luck didn't last forever. Itachi was able to plant a strong kick on her abdomen that sent her to the floor a few meters away from him. "Don't just dodge," Itachi barked at her. Sakura was on her hands and knees trying to get back on her feet. Itachi didn't give her a chance. Itachi quickly and effectively landed multiple hits on Sakura's body. His moves were so quick that Sakura seemed to be suspended in mid hair as he continued his assault.

After what seemed like an eternity to Sakura, Itachi ended his assault and Sakura collapsed to the floor. She was bleeding from her mouth, there were many bruises on her body that would probably stay there for weeks, and her every movement caused her some amount of pain. "Defend yourself!" Itachi told her. Sakura, for what seemed like the millionth time, tried to get off the hard, slippery floor. Itachi was proving that he really could be the heartless bastard everyone said he was.

Sakura's head quickly snapped up when she heard Itachi's voice. "Katon," Itachi said as he quickly formed a variety of seals. Sakura's eyes widened from surprise. "Hosenka no jutsu!" Sakura had no idea what to do. There were to many fireballs coming at her and she couldn't dodge them.

For some reason, her mind took her back to when she was watching Gaara fight. She remembered how his sand had acted as a barrier. Sakura didn't think or bother to question her trail of thought. She just lifted her hands in front of her and closed her eyes like the scared little kid she was. Sakura waited for the pain, but nothing happened. She opened her eyes and saw that she had somehow formed a small enclosure of ice. Well, the good news was she didn't get burned. The bad news was that she had no idea how to melt all of this ice so that she could leave. Yep, that was definitely a problem.

As soon as she pictured the ice disappearing it did. The ice, one could say, melted, but it did so in a way that looked like she was still control of it. She only wished she was in control. Or that she at least had some vague idea of how to control it. Sakura looked around and finally spotted Itachi standing at the same spot that he had been before. And he did not seem happy.

"Again," was all Itachi said before he started his attacks.

_At least I got some type of warning this time._

* * *

><p>Kiba had walked over to a park. They had looked for a spot where they were almost sure that they wouldn't be interrupted and then sat down on a park bench they were lucky enough to find. Kiba sat facing her and she did the same. It was heart-wrenching hearing about Kiba's fight with Sakon and Ukon. She saw the way his eyes darkened as he explained exactly how they had almost killed him and Akamaru. She heard the small sound of regret as he told her that Kankuro had saved them.<p>

"It was my fault that Akamaru got so hurt," Kiba whispered.

"It wasn't," Sakura blurted out before she could stop herself. She knew that people that knew how Kiba felt had been telling him that. He didn't need to hear it from her. "You both did the best you could."

"But it wasn't good enough," Kiba said, sounding very frustrated.

"Then you should change that," Sakura sternly told him. She had learned that sometimes people didn't need sugar coated words. They needed to hear the truth.

Kiba glared at her for a few seconds. "I promise you, I will," Kiba told her. "And I'm sorry if you don't want to hear this but I'll prove it by defeating Sasuke myself next time."

Sakura gave him a small smile. "I hope you do," Sakura told him. Kiba stared at her, not sure if he had heard her correctly. Sakura's smile grew when she saw the dumbfounded look on Kiba's face. After everything that had happened, it was normal for him to want to get stronger. The thing or person he chose as his goal in order to be encouraged was up to him. She didn't mind that it was Sasuke. She knew that Kiba had every right to dislike or even hate Sasuke. And she knew what it felt like to want- no, to need to blame someone for his or her misfortune. She felt it too. "Well, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry," Sakura said as she got up. "Want to go get something to eat?" she asked him with a sweet smile.

Kiba stared at her for a while. He was surprised by her actions, to say the least. "Sure," Kiba said as he stood up. Sakura smiled at him again and turned to walk over to the Ramen Ichiraku. Kiba followed a few steps behind. He had expected Sakura to be more emotional about the whole thing. He had expected her to argue with him that everything that happened wasn't Sasuke's fault. The murder of her clan and her kidnapping must have taken a bigger toll on her than she let on. Kiba frowned at her. He didn't even want to imagine how he would be if his clan was killed. But it seemed that Sakura had changed for the better. She was a bit more realistic and open to the hardships of life. Though she had to find that out the hard way.

"So," Sakura began as she looked behind her shoulder at him, "I'm guessing your going to be training really hard for the upcoming chunin exams, right?"

It took Kiba a while before her question finally registered in her mind. "Hell yeah I am," he said as he walked up to her. Maybe Sakura had always been like this or maybe the recent events had changed her. But who gave a damn. The Sakura he was getting to know was perfectly fine. "We all are. I wonder when they'll make the next ones though."

"Probably not any time soon," Sakura said. "They'll probably take their time making sure nothing like last time happens again." Sakura looked up at the Third's face on the mountain's side. Kiba followed her gaze and he didn't need to be Neji to figure out what she was thinking of.

"Yeah, probably," Kiba mumbled. He missed the old man. Though he had nothing against the new Hokage, no one could replace the Third. "Well, whenever they decide to make the chunin exams, I am most definitely going to pass," he said, trying to lighten up the mood. "Having that lazy ass Shikamaru become a chunin before me is just unacceptable." He was glad to hear that Sakura was giggling.

"I'm sure we'll all be able to pass the chunin exams this time around," Sakura said. It didn't take them long to reach the ramen shop. When they got there Teuchi greeted them with a huge smile.

"Good after noon, you two," Teuchi greeted them. "You're Naruto's teammate right?" he asked, referring to Sakura.

"Yeah, I am," Sakura answered with a smile.

"Wow, Naruto hasn't been gone long and already you have another suitor," Teuchi said jokingly. Both Kiba and Sakura turned completely red hearing that.

"No way, it's nothing like that," Kiba quickly said.

"We're just friends," Sakura added in, giving Teuchi a nervous smile.

"Dad, would you stop teasing the poor kids," Ayame said.

Teuchi just laughed at the look on the youngsters' faces as they both sat down. "Alright, alright," Teuchi said. "What can I get you two?"

"Tonkotsu ramen for me," Kiba said with a huge smile on his face. If there was one thing he had to agree with Naruto on, was that this place served great ramen.

"The same," Sakura said, not a huge fan for ramen like Naruto.

"Coming right up," Teuchi said. "It's a shame Naruto isn't here, though," Teuchi commented after a while.

"I'm sure the shop is going to lose big money with Naruto's absence," Kiba stated as he rested his crossed arms on the bar.

Teuchi laughed at Kiba's comment. "It will," Teuchi said, "but I was referring to this new thing that I was going to start giving out with every order."

"Really? What is it?" Sakura asked, a bit curious.

"Just these fortune cookies that I was able to get for a really good deal," Teuchi told them both.

"Fortune cookies are good," Kiba said. "Sometimes stupid, but they taste great."

"These cookies are delicious," Teuchi said. "The fortunes are just odd."

"Odd? Aren't they all?" Kiba asked a little confused.

"Well, you'll see what I'm referring to when you get yours," was all the old man said before he got back to the cooking. Kiba and Sakura just looked at each other and then simultaneously shrugged their shoulders.

"How long will Naruto be gone for," Ayame asked.

"Probably three years," Kiba told her.

"That's a long time," Ayame commented. "I'm going to miss his fun loving spirit."

"I think we all are," Sakura said with a sad smile on her face.

"Here you are," Teuchi said as he put two plates of ramen down in front of each of them.

"Thanks," both Kiba and Sakura said. Neither of them bothered to talk, both of them to preoccupied with eating their ramen. It didn't take them long to finish eating.

"That sure was good," Kiba said as he put his plate down. Sakura just nodded since her mouth was full with food at the moment.

"Here are your two fortune cookies," Teuchi said as he handed each of them a cookie.

Kiba quickly opened his and cracked the cookie in half. He took out the piece of paper but first ate one half of the cookie. "These cookies really are good," he said as he ate the other half. Kiba unfolded the paper he had in his hands and read it out loud. "'Don't let the past and useless details choke your existence.'" Kiba looked at the paper for a little while and then crumbled it up in his hand. Sakura slowly chewed the last half of her cookie as she studied him. She didn't need to read his mind in order to know what he was thinking. "You're right, this stuff is a bunch of bull," he said as he threw the paper into the empty bowl of ramen.

"What does yours say, Sakura-chan?" Ayame asked, dismissing Kiba's act as nothing.

"Uumm," Sakura said as she looked at her small piece of paper. "'Hard times are behind you. Impossible ones lay ahead," she recited.

"Wow," Kiba said next to her. "That sucks." Sakura just turned to glare at him.

"Thanks," Sakura snapped at him.

"Hey," Kiba said shrugging, "it's not like they're true or something. How much will it be?" Kiba asked turning to Teuchi. Sakura didn't pay much attention to them at first, lost in her own thoughts. She quickly took out her own money in order to pay for her food before Kiba could.

"Thanks," Kiba said as he walked outside.

"Thank you," Sakura also said. She glanced at the crunched up piece of paper in Kiba's plate and without understanding why, she grabbed the piece of paper.

"You're welcome, come again," Teuchi said, not having noticed Sakura's actions.

Once outside Sakura noticed that Kiba was staring off ahead of him. Sakura slowly walked up to him. "You okay?" she asked him. Kiba seemed a little startled to hear her but then gave her a smile that Sakura didn't buy for one second.

"I'm fine," Kiba said. "But I told Shino that I would meet up with him, so I should get going."

"Alright then," Sakura answered. Kiba turned around to leave but then stopped and faced her again.

"It was good talking to you," Kiba told her.

"Same here," Sakura said, smiling at him. Kiba nodded, his mind obviously somewhere else, and left. Sakura let out a deep sigh and kept on looking at Kiba's retreating back until he was gone. For a moment, Sakura had no idea what to do, but then she remembered that she had been meaning to go to the library. So without wasting another minute, Sakura began to walk towards the library.

* * *

><p>Sakura slowly started to stand up from the now muddy floor. With all of the fire techniques that Itachi had been using, a big part of the ice that was on the floor had melted into water. It surprised Sakura that even after such a long time in the warm weather the rest of the ice hadn't even begun to melt yet. Just showed how thick the ice must be.<p>

The battle, if one could call it that, had gone on in almost the same pattern as the first part of it had. Itachi hurt Sakura and then attacked her, and only when she was in a near death situation could Sakura actually use the ice to protect her. Though she had no luck in trying to figure out how she did that. But Sakura did have the genius idea of using her newfound mind reading abilities to try and have any type of advantage against Itachi's attacks. While it had been very easy to get into Itachi's mind, figuring out his next step and reacting soon enough to actually make the information any good was a lot harder than she thought. Not only did her entire body hurt like hell, but she had a massive headache from taking in Itachi's thoughts and her own.

So, in a few words, they hadn't made much improvement. And it was more than obvious that Itachi was not happy about that fact. Itachi threw two kunais her way and Sakura's first reaction was to move her hand upwards quickly as if she was pulling up a magical shield that would be able to defend her. She was screaming at herself for being such an idiot when ice formed where her hand had moved, very effectively blocking the kunais. Sakura just blinked a few times not believing what was happening. "Don't think," Itachi screamed at her, "Trust your instincts."

Sakura decided that she would lose nothing from trying it- other than maybe a limb. Itachi came at her again and instead of trying to read his mind to see what he was going to do or trying to escape, Sakura didn't think. She just did the first thing that popped into her head. And that was to start moving her hands as if she was smearing paint on the air right before Itachi aimed in that general direction.

Just like before, ice formed wherever she moved her hands to. Itachi ended up hitting and shattering the ice instead of hitting her. Seeing that it was actually working Sakura kept on doing the same thing over and over. Itachi's constant advances forced her to walk backwards as she somehow still felt the impacts of his hits. Itachi was pulling his right fist back to punch in her direction again, but instead of moving her hand across the direction Itachi would end up aiming at, she moved her hand slightly back with palm up and let a ball of ice gather in her palm. Then she quickly threw it at Itachi's chest. It hit him easily and made him move a few meters back.

"Better," Itachi mumbled as he whipped some ice of his shirt. Sakura was almost about to smile when Itachi suddenly disappeared. "But not good enough," he told her from behind before hitting her on her right side with his arm and sending her flying into a tree.

Or at least that's what Itachi expected to happen. He was not expecting Sakura to flip and land on the tree parallel to the floor, then squat down and resume her defenses there. He had to admit that her chakra control was outstanding. But he wasn't too shocked by her sudden improvement to not respond instantly. Sakura barely had enough time to form another ice shield around her before the fireballs reached her. Moving chakra to her feet in order to stay on the tree in her current position wasn't the hard part. Neither was having enough chakra to be able to do that after all the fighting they had done. The hard part was remembering that she actually stood a chance against Itachi at his current level. Because Sakura knew that he was holding back.

Sakura saw another opening and threw another ice ball at Itachi's chest, though this time he was able to dodge. "I won't fall for the same tricks," Itachi told her. Sakura quickly moved behind the tree she had been standing on in order to not get hit by a fireball. Sakura decided to give another shot to reading Itachi's mind. She closed her eyes and saw everything through his eyes. He was looking right at the tree she was standing behind. He had three kunais in each hand and each kunai had a…

Sakura waited a few seconds until she heard Itachi throw all the kunais, then she moved in front of the tree, quickly caught the kunais and threw them and the paper bombs attached to them right back at him. Itachi was surprised that she had known the kunais had paper bombs attached to them but it wasn't at all hard for him to dodge them. He didn't even need to think much about his actions. His mind had already thought of what to do if something like that happened.

So, Sakura new two things: There was very little chance that she would ever be able to surprise Itachi and she needed to be able to do that if she was ever going to be of any help.

Sakura stood at her fighting position ready to take on any more of Itachi's attacks but to her surprise Itachi suddenly appeared sitting down and leaning against a tree. "It seems like you are finally able to use your new ability in combat," Itachi said as he looked out at the clearing. "Now try and reverse it." Sakura looked at him then at the still frozen trees and back at Itachi.

"How?" Sakura asked, knowing very well that she was not going to get an answer.

"Figure it out," Itachi answered, "and you just might win something." Sakura didn't even bother asking what that something might be. She turned her back on Itachi and stared at the frozen landscape before her. Where to start?

She decided to go on instinct here too. So she lifted both her hands, palm down, at eye level, and then brought them down quickly as if she expected the ice to come off like in a well rehearsed, with horribly bad side effects, play. And that's exactly what happened. The trees and river went back to their unfrozen selves with the only evidence that she had actually frozen them to begin with being little droplets of water on the branches and leaves and the pools of water on the ground.

Sakura was enjoying the beauty of the clearing when suddenly something pale blue with small round eyes appeared right in front of her. And Sakura did what anyone else with her abilities would do.

She screamed.

* * *

><p><strong>Guess who? Hopefully it won't take me that long to get the next chapter up, but no promises. I was out of the country for two weeks so I had a lot of catching up with homework and all that.<strong>

**Please Review! :D**


	11. Water Release

Chapter 11  
>Water Release<br>Songs: Till I Collapse by Eminem feat. Nate Dogg

Sakura had taken a few steps back, but lost her footing and landed on the floor. Her eyes stayed glued to the person in front of her. Now that there was some distance between them, Sakura noticed that the man-fish thing had an Akatsuki cloak just like Itachi's. She also noticed that the man was obviously trying to hold back his laughter caused be her actions.

"Who are you?" Sakura asked, able to find her voice.

"Hoshigaki Kisame," he answered. His voice made Sakura tremble with fear. Sakura was about to open her mouth to ask him who that was, but Itachi beat her to the punch.

"He's a member of Akatsuki," Itachi told her. "And my partner." Sakura didn't even bother to glance at him, too preoccupied making sure that Kisame didn't try to eat her or something. He looked really menacing standing over her.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Kisame said. Sakura had no idea what he was talking about and that just made her worry even more.

"Don't kill her," Itachi said. Now _that _made Sakura look his way. He had stood up and now had his back to her. "See you later," he said, lifting is right arm in farewell.

Sakura stared at the place Itachi had been just a few moments ago. Then she slowly looked back at the man in front of her. He had a huge grin on his face. Sakura never even saw when he moved his hand back to grab the huge sword on his back but Sakura could see the sword moving quickly towards her. Sakura put her hands up in front of her and formed a giant ice shield. But to her great disappointment, the ice started to crack!

The sword was about to break through the ice when Sakura moved out of the way. If she couldn't use any of her ice attacks, then what could she use? Kisame went straight at her again, but this time the sword connected with Sakura's right side. The impact sent her flying right into the trunk of a very old tree. Sakura felt as if she had used up a big chunk of her chakra. She just didn't understand what was happening. And now her back hurt even more from the impact. How many trees was she going to be thrown at today?

_Cause sometimes you feel tired,_  
><em>feel weak,<em>

"Meet Samehada," Kisame told her. Sakura noticed that the side that had been hit was bleeding and hurt more than it should have. Sakura moved her gaze back to the sword and noticed that the white cloth it had been wrapped with was now ripped at the end. Sakura saw it move in ripples. That thing was full of surprises. "I'll be helpful and tell you that it can absorb your chakra when it makes physical contact." So now she knew why she felt like she had less chakra. But it didn't help her much.

_And when you feel weak,_  
><em>you feel like you just wanna give up<em>

Sakura remembered Itachi always telling her to use more offense so she decided that she might as well see how she fared with this Akatsuki member, who was obviously weaker than Itachi. Sakura formed a spear with her right hand. She seemed to be getting the hang of using the ice and molding it into new objects. Sakura threw the ice spear at Kisame but he was easily able to stop it. "You'll have to try harder than that," Kisame said as he went at her again.

"I know," Sakura mumbled under her breathe.

_But you gotta search within you  
><em> _you gotta find your inner strength_

She didn't waste her time with making an ice shield this time. She just jumped out of the way. Sakura noticed that Kisame still swung his sword at the tree, effectively breaking it in half. He had had enough time to stop his attack and save some energy, so Sakura concluded that he was a bit more reckless than Itachi. Itachi would have stopped.

Sakura quickly formed an ice kunai and threw it at him. Though this time it did hit him, it didn't injure him in the least. "Your technique is mediocre at best," Kisame taunted her. Now that made her mad. It was her first time using this new technique so she knew that it would be hard for her to be able to be an expert at it, but she didn't need to be reminded of that by a shark-faced freak.

_And just pull that shit out of you _  
><em>and get that motivation<em>

Sakura put her hands on the ground and watched as ice started to quickly make its way towards Kisame. To Sakura's surprise, Kisame actually moved away from the ice. Sakura was about to make the ice follow him but then he appeared behind her and hit her with Samehada again. Sakura clenched her left side that had just been injured. She saw how Samehada started to ripple and her blood was sucked into it. Now Sakura wished she had learned more about healing the human body.

Since things were going to go south for her really soon if she didn't figure something out, Sakura decided that it wouldn't hurt to follow up on her hunch. She placed her hands on the ground and tried to make the ice freeze Kisame again. Except this time she was reading his mind. _Damn this girl. She just_ _doesn't know when to give up._ _If that ice gets me, I won't be able to break it without using too much chakra. That kekkei genkai of hers is a lot of trouble._

Now it made a bit more sense. At least Sakura knew what she had to do. And it seemed that Kisame didn't know that she could read minds so she could still use that to her advantage. She didn't bother to try and follow Kisame with her ice trail this time. She just got ready for the next attack. She took a quick look into Kisame's mind and found him looking at her back. She quickly moved to her left and was mere centimeters away when Samehada came crashing down on the ground next to her. She created another ice spear and aimed it at Kisame but before it could hit him Kisame disappeared and was able to hit her from behind.

Sakura had a feeling that this fight would be very similar to the one with Itachi. Sakura tried to form another ice shield when Kisame went towards her again but the ice shield shattered to pieces as soon as Samehada touched it. Sakura received a full-blown hit right to her abdomen. She hit a tree and slumped to the ground. How the hell could Itachi expect her to be any good in this fight after everything that she had been through during their fight? He was crazy.

Both her sides had suffered a hit from that damn sword. She had cuts and bruises all over her body from her fight with Itachi. She needed to find a way to be able to survive this fight.

_To not give and not be a quitter,_  
><em>no matter how bad you just wanna fall flat on your face and collapse<em>

"You can't control the water nor the wind in order to form the ice," Kisame told her as he rested his sword on the floor. Sakura just looked at him, waiting for an attack. "It won't be any fun to beat you to a pulp if you can't even put up a fight. So I'll help you learn a bit about water release."

Sakura stared at him for a while not believing or trusting him. "Calm down," he said when he saw her hesitating. "I won't attack while I train you." Sakura still didn't move. Kisame let out a frustrated sigh. "You're going to be my student now, so your abilities will be a direct reflection of my powers, and I'll be damned if people start doubting my strength." Sakura found it humorous that when a man's pride was on the line they seemed trustworthy. She slowly started to get of the ground though it was harder than she would have liked. "Do you know how to walk on water?" Kisame asked her as he studied the river.

"No," Sakura replied, walking over to the river.

"Then you better figure it out," He said as he pushed her into the river. Sakura instinctively took a breath before she fell into the river. The water was freezing and it burned all of her cuts. But it did help her sore muscles a little. Sakura quickly resurfaced. She glared daggers at Kisame, but he just grinned down at her.

"Mind giving me a hint at least," Sakura asked him.

"Yeah, I do," he responded. Sakura just glared at him. She tried to think of any book that ever mentioned walking on water but couldn't think of anything. Then she got an idea.

"At least a demonstration?" Sakura asked, though she knew he wouldn't.

"No," Kisame said. But Sakura had already gotten what she needed. She was more than happy that she had such great chakra control. It was a simple task for her to just make chakra flow first to her hands so she could push herself out of the water and then to her feet so she could stand on the water. Sakura saw Kisame narrow his eyes but otherwise showed no sign of surprise.

"Now what?" Sakura asked.

"Try and move the water," Kisame said, trying to get a sense of how much he had to teach her. Sakura thought about it for a little bit but then decided that she hadn't gotten very far with thinking. She put her hand palm down a few feet above the water then slowly started to raise her hand more and more. A small stream of water slowly started to rise from the river following her hand. Sakura let a small smile graze her lips. "Well, at least you're not a complete failure at this." Sakura glared up at him but tensed when he suddenly disappeared. She quickly looked around trying to find the shark man. "Up here," he called out to her.

Sakura turned to her left and saw that Kisame was standing on top of the waterfall. "Now," he said, "try and stop the flow of water." He quickly made a variety of hand seals that Sakura couldn't even follow. "Water Release: Waterfall Basin Technique," Kisame said. Suddenly the waterfall grew almost twice its size and the water flow was more rapid. She was glad that she was still able to keep the chakra flowing steadily to her feet so that she wouldn't fall in.

This time she didn't even bother to ask Kisame for any help or trick him into giving her more information than he was aware of. She sent chakra to one of her knees and then placed it on the rushing water below her. Then she placed her hands on the freezing water, but instead of letting her hands rest on the surface she let the water cover her hands. Then she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

Kisame had told her to do this as if it was something kids in the academy were learning. It definitely wasn't. She would have remembered. This was supposed to be taught to chunins by a good teacher that would at least bother to demonstrate it once. But she really couldn't complain. She needed to prove to this arrogant Same (shark in Japanese) that she was more than capable to be able to fight him.

_Till I collapse I'm spilling these raps as long as you feel em  
><em> _Till the day that I drop you'll never say that I'm not killing them_

Sakura tried to push her irritation about the "teacher" she ended up with and started to analyze her situation. She really didn't have to many solutions for this. And even less chakra. So why not just use the rest of her chakra for something useful. She started to push out all of her chakra into the water from her hands.

For an instance, Sakura felt the rushing water that had been hitting her wrists stop. She quickly opened her eyes to prove that what she was feeling was real but then she lost focus and the water started to rush by her again. Okay, she knew how to stop the waterfall. Sakura looked back up at about the three hundred or so wide waterfall. How in the world was she supposed to concentrate enough chakra in order to stop the water?

And that's when it hit her. Sakura stood up and walked to the rushing water. She raised both her hands in front of her and felt the water sting all the small cuts on her hands. But she tried to ignore that. Sakura closed her eyes again and started to concentrate her chakra as a line until the edges of the waterfall. She could feel that the line went right through the entire width of the waterfall but the water kept on rushing by her. Her hands started to feel numb from the freezing water.

"Don't have enough chakra?" Kisame voiced from above her. "Pathetic," he mumbled, but Sakura was still able to hear him.

He was right though. She really wouldn't have enough chakra to stop the flow of the water. She was already pushing her limits. Her knees just wanted to buckle under her and every muscle in her body was telling her to stop and rest. But damn it she wasn't about to give up.

"Shut the fuck up you fucking fish-head!" Sakura growled out at Kisame, her foul mouth provoked by her anger.

_Till the roof comes off,_  
><em>Till the lights go out,<em>  
><em>Till my legs give out,<em>  
><em>Can't shut my mouth<em>

Sakura used the last bits of her strength to force her chakra throughout the water that was crashing down. And then the small water drops stopped splashing against her body and the pressure on her hands stopped. She slowly opened her eyes but made sure to keep her chakra under control. She looked up and was happy to see that the water looked as if someone had pushed pause or something. It was completely still, but once Sakura got over her shock and happiness she could feel just how much pressure the water was causing.

Sakura tried to keep up her control over the water but she couldn't. The water came rushing back and Sakura collapsed on her hands and knees. She could feel every sore muscle and the great lack of chakra now that she wasn't concentrating so much. She was lucky to have enough chakra to keep herself on the surface of the water and not fall directly into its freezing depths.

Sakura could see a pair of feet near her but she didn't pay him any attention and just kept gasping for breath. "Well, that was interesting," Kisame said. Sakura didn't even bother to look up at him so that she could see the expression on his face. That simple movement seemed impossible right now. "Get up," he told her, "we need to continue your training."

"More...like...torture," Sakura gasped out. She glared up at him. He had a smirk on his face but Sakura could tell that he was more than willing to roughly pull her to her feet. Or worse even, go back to their "fight."

"Stop complaining," Kisame told her. Sakura slowly got to her feet. Her legs wobbled as she slowly started to get on her feet. She had to rest her hands on her knees in order to not fall flat on her face. Sakura looked up at Kisame. "Do you know how to make a shadow clone?" Sakura just managed a nod. "Then make a water clone." He moved back a few paces as if he might actually get injured when she tried to make a water clone.

Sakura glared at him for a few seconds before trying to figure out how to get past this obstacle. She remembered that Zabuza had used that technique when they fought him. But it wasn't like she had the Sharingan in order to be able to copy his technique just like that. But it shouldn't be too hard. All she had to do was remember the hand seal that he had used and the rest should be like making a shadow clone, just using water instead of her chakra.

Now if only she could remember the hand seal. Damn it. How was she to know that she should actually pay so much attention to those small details? Sakura went over all the memories she had of that day. Her mind reading abilities were really coming in handy now. Instead of just having to rely on her own memory she could actually use her new powers to look into the small details that people never really remember to begin with but are still stored away in the brain. And she was able to get her answer: tiger.

Sakura took in a deep breath and stood up straight. She formed the seal and used the water next to her to make the clone. Thankfully even with the little chakra that she had she was able to make a clone. "Now try to make twenty," Kisame told her as he moved out of the river. Sakura didn't now when he had changed the river back to its normal size but she didn't care.

"Twenty?" Sakura asked him. "You're crazy! I don't have enough chakra to do two!"

"Too bad then," Kisame said. He took a seat in front of one of the trees and looked back at her. He placed Samehada on the floor next to him. "Maybe we should go back to the fight," he said. Sakura shuddered and grew even more panicked when she saw Samehada ripple as if with anticipation.

Sakura let out a frustrated sigh. It didn't seem like it was going to be a nice, rest filled night for her.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry that it took so long to update but my laptop broke so i couldn't do any writing. I know this is a short chapter but that's because I split this chapter into two, so the next on should be up soon.<strong>

**Please,please,please,please review!**

**Hope you enjoyed it! :D**


	12. Sakura's New Task

**So this starts with Sakura's clone right after she left Kiba and headed to the library. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 12  
>Sakura's New Task<p>

_The Konoha Military Police Force was founded by the Second Hokage. The Uchiha Clan was the main operators and that is why the Uchiha crest was decided as the symbol for the Military Police Force. Their main occupation was to keep the order inside of Konoha and settle disputes between ninjas._

Sakura just glared at the paragraph. She had been looking for something on the police force but all she had been able to find was that little paragraph. Sakura decided that she was going to get nowhere here. So she got up from the table she had been sitting at. She looked down at the book and wondered if she should take it or not. Sakura decided against it at the end. It would just look to weird if she were to be seen with a book on Uchiha history. Sakura decided to just go to plan B.

The pink-haired kunoichi walked out of the library and quickly tried to make her way to the Hokage's office. She wondered if it would be a bad idea to go over to the Elders and wish Utatane a happy birthday. But what Itachi said about her birthday made her decide against it. It didn't take her long to reach the Hokage's office and that's where she hesitated.

She wasn't sure if she should actually do this. Itachi could end up seeing this as a nice gesture or he could end up being furious with her. But she knew that even though Itachi had disagreed with his clan on a lot of things, he was still proud to be an Uchiha. So, Sakura knocked.

"Come in," Tsunade said from behind the door. Sakura slowly opened the door and walked in. Tsunade was sitting at her desk and looking over the papers that Shizune kept handing her. Shizune was the first to notice her.

"Sakura," she said, obviously surprised. Tsunade raised her head from the paperwork in front of her and looked at her just as surprised.

"Good afternoon," Sakura politely said as she bowed.

"I'm very surprised to see you here," Tsunade told her without any preamble.

"I know," Sakura said as she walked towards her desk. "If you're busy now, I could come back later?" It took Tsunade a while to register what Sakura was saying.

"No, I'm not," Tsunade quickly responded. "What do you need?"

"I've been thinking a lot lately," Sakura began, looking for the right words, "and I'm hoping that you will accept what I have to say."

"What is it?" Tsunade asked a bit worried.

"I think it would be good for the village if..." Sakura kept looking around the room, not sure if she should continue or not.

"If what?" Tsunade asked, losing her patience. Many scenarios were playing around in her head. Sakura asking to leave the village or no longer be a ninja were two of the main ones.

"If the Konoha Military Police Force was reestablished," Sakura said in a hurry.

She dared a look at Tsunade and she did not like what she saw. Both Tsunade and Shizune were staring at her as if she was crazy. And, as far as she knew, maybe they were right. "What do mean?" Tsunade asked, her voice not too kind.

"Well," Sakura started. She had already said it so there was no turning back now. "Ever since the Uchihas had been assassinated the police force was ended since the majority of its members were Uchiha's. But the building is still there. The way it functioned was very efficient and I don't think it would hurt to have it be reinstalled."

"And who do you think would want to be a member of it?" Tsunade asked, putting her elbows on the desk and intertwining her fingers in front of her.

"Any ninja who has or is thinking about starting a family and wouldn't want to go out on too many missions. Or any woman that is pregnant and is to head strong to listen to the words 'you need rest.' Or any other ninja who would find it an honor to be able to work in the establishment that had been run mainly by the Uchiha clan, one of the most powerful clans this village has ever known. And if they don't think that way, then they shouldn't even be allowed a position because that's exactly what this is: an honor to carry on what the Uchiha's started." Sakura was happy to hear her voice loud and firm. Tsunade was obviously surprised by her tone of voice but she quickly went back to her serious expression.

"And how exactly did you come to this conclusion?" Tsunade asked. She had just been kidnapped and raped by one of the last Uchiha's and instead of wanting revenge, she wanted to bring back the pride and honor of that same clan. What the hell was this girl thinking?

"I know that you might not understand my reasons," Sakura calmly answered, knowing perfectly well what Tsunade was thinking, and not just because it would be obvious to anyone. "But I still care about him. About Sasuke," Sakura finished as she lowered her eyes and her voice fell. She reined in her emotions and looked back at Tsunade. "One of the things I remember most about Sasuke was his pride. And he was proud to be an Uchiha. He left in order to regain his clan's pride and honor. And I would do anything to help him accomplish his goal." Sakura had to fight back a sob at the double meaning her words had. She didn't want him to kill Itachi. And while what she had just said wasn't a lie, it also hadn't been the thing that made her start to think about doing this.

Tsunade studied her for a moment. Sakura seemed a lot better than she had before. She was much more head strong and there was finally some life in her eyes. The past few weeks her beautiful emerald eyes had been dull and fading. Tsunade almost started to think that her eyes were gray and not a vibrant green. But she was reminded of her mesmerizing eyes now. That helped her make her decision.

"If you can recruit enough men that would be interested in being a part of the new Konoha Military Police Force, then I will approve." Sakura was about to go up there and hug her, but Tsuande continued speaking. "But you will have to do everything. You will be in charge of figuring out how much you will be able to spend from the village's monthly budget, you will have to figure out a way to improve the police's building, you will have to design and order new uniforms for every member, and you will make sure things are running smoothly. Still want to go through with this?"

"Yes," Sakura said without any hesitation.

"Then get started," Tsunade told her. She quickly got out a small piece of paper and wrote on it. "You know where the file room is. Take this." Tsunade handed her a pass in order for her to enter all the restricted areas. "You can go into any area, except the restricted section in the library. It even allows you to go into Anbu headquarters. But if I were you, I'd ask Kakashi to accompany you if you go there."

"Of course," Sakura said. "Thank you." Sakura bowed and then quickly left the office with a huge smile on her face.

It didn't take her long to make her way to the file room. Though, there were many other files throughout the building, this one had the people she was looking for. Sakura started searching for the files she would need.

After an hour or so, Sakura gave up trying to find more files and decided to just contact the ones that had already been on the police force. She made her way out of the file room easily enough. Once she was out of the Hokage's building, Sakura started to walk through the village. The first ninja on her list was currently injured, so he should be at home. It wouldn't be too hard to find him.

As she was peacefully walking through the village, she started to think back to the fortune that she had received that day. It was as if it was made for her. She knew that she had been through very hard times. But what worried her most was the second part of the fortune.

Uchiha Madara, Akatsuki, and Orochimaru were three things that she would have to face in the future, and they certainly did seem like impossible tasks to undertake. But it still sent a chill up her spine when she thought of it. She had to succeed; failure would mean that everyone's sacrifices would have been in vain.

The Uchiha's were a powerful and honorable clan, or at least that is how everyone in the village saw them. And Sakura just knew that Itachi wanted it to stay like that. She knew that all of the Uchiha's must have been very prideful, so she wouldn't let people malign their name. The fact that they had been one of the most powerful clans in the village and were taken down by one-or so they thought- of their finest shinobi was dishonorable. That's one of the reasons Sasuke wanted to kill Itachi: not only for revenge, but to restore honor to his clan. And she would do anything to help him, both of them.

Sakura stopped in front of a nice looking house. She knocked a few times and patiently waited outside the door. A few moments later a tall, well-built man with dirty blonde hair and deep blue colored eyes came out of the house. Sakura noticed that he had bandages on his stomach under his shirt.

"Good afternoon," Sakura said, as she bowed in respect.

"Afternoon," the ninja answered. "Can I help you in anything?"

"Well," Sakura said, trying to fight through her shyness, "I was hoping I could talk to you about something very important. If you're not busy, that is."

"Not at all," the man responded with a kind smile. "Come in," the man moved out of the way in order for Sakura to get through. Sakura noticed that the house had little furniture and was very simple. "Take a seat," he offered her as he led the way into the living room. The couches were comfortable and everything was spotless. He must have been injured for a very long time.

"My name is Isao. I heard what happened to your family," Isao said as he sat down. "You have my deepest condolences."

"Thank you," Sakura said. That was probably why he had been so nice; he had recognized her.

"So what can I do for you?" He was seated on the sofa adjacent to hers.

"The Hokage put me in charge of a certain…task," Sakura said, trying to take things slowly, "And I was looking through a lot of files and thought that you would be interested."

"Interested in what exactly?" He asked as he rested his elbows on his knees and leaned forward.

Sakura took in a deep breath before she answered. "In being reassigned to the Konoha Military Police Force."

He stared at her for a while as if expecting her to suddenly say "Just kidding, this is a joke!" It was reasonable for him to feel that way. After all, Sakura was still just a kid in his eyes even if she had been through hell-and was probably still there. When she didn't say anything, he just continued to stare at her. Sakura could tell that he was having an internal debate, and she was very tempted to read his mind in order to see what he was thinking.

"The Fifth authorized this?" he finally spoke.

"Yes, she did," Sakura said, mentally chastising herself for not asking the Hokage to give her some proof. But it seemed like the man believed her.

"And she left you in charge of reassembling the police force?" he asked, obviously thinking she was too young.

"Yes," Sakura answered, a little harshly. This time Sakura decided that it would be a good thing to just read his mind.

_This girl just had her entire clan slaughtered and the Hokage thinks it's a smart idea to give her such an enormous task. Why would the Hokage even do something like this? An Uchiha is the one that kidnapped her, too._

"I suggested to Lady Tsunade that she should reestablish the police force and she agreed but only if I am capable of organizing everything," Sakura explained.

_I guess this girl really does love that Uchiha kid that ran away._

_God, is nothing a secret in this village,_ Sakura thought to herself. "The Uchiha Clan was one of the most powerful clans in the village. They were disgraced when they were slaughtered by one of their best ninjas. All I'm trying to do is restore that respect the village had for them. And the Konoha Military Police Force is one of the only things we could actually use to restore that honor," Sakura explained, pleading for him to understand.

The man studied her for a while. It was a very tempting offer. Being a member of the P. F. had been one of the most honorable positions a ninja could be granted with. At least when the Uchiha's were in charge it was. But who said it couldn't still be that way? He owed it to the Uchiha's to make the police force the most honorable establishment in the village.

"You can count me in," he said. Sakura couldn't help the smile that spread throughout her face.

"Thank you," Sakura said.

"It's my pleasure," he said. "And I think I could help you recruit some other people, that are most definitely qualified for the job."

"That would be great," Sakura answered.

* * *

><p>It was almost nightfall when Sakura returned to her apartment. She was exhausted. She had just spent the entire day with Isao recruiting ninja for the force. They had been able to contact all of the other members that had worked in the P. F. Luckily, all of them had agreed to join. Sakura was sure that it would have been much harder for any of them to actually take her seriously if Isao hadn't gone with her. She really owed him one. And it seemed that everyone really respected him. He would be a really good candidate to run the organization once she was relieved of that duty.<p>

Sakura slowly walked into her small apartment. She dropped all of the books and files on the coffee table. She walked over to the kitchen and was glad to see that she at least had cereal to eat. She poured some cereal and milk in a bowl then walked over to the bedroom. She set the food down on the table and went back to the living room to get all of the paperwork she had.

Once she was on her bed and had some food in her, Sakura started to look through all of the papers in front of her. There was a lot more that needed to be done than what she had been expecting. Fifteen men had been recruited and Sakura thought that that would be enough for now. It was definitely all the budget would allow them to get through. And the men would still be earning less than what they would earn regularly with missions. Tomorrow she would have to go and see how much work the original headquarters needed. Good thing that they had a bit of extra money since everyone had their old uniforms.

Sakura let out a huge sigh. Now she understood why Tsunade had thought that Sakura wouldn't accept the terms that she had laid out for her. But Sakura hadn't been thinking at that time. She just knew that she would do whatever Tsunade asked of her. Sakura finished her cereal and started to make more calculations for their monthly budget.

They needed more work. Konoha was big but there was hardly ever any serious trouble. The past few months being an exception. _The smaller villages are usually the ones that have more trouble..._ Sakura got up from her bed and walked over to the many boxes that were in a corner of the room. She started to quickly look through all of them. "It's got to be in here," she mumbled as she pushed aside another box. "Found it," Sakura said as she pulled out a long rolled up piece of paper.

Sakura walked over to her bed again and started to unroll the paper. It was a map of Konoha and many of the villages near by. Some had been known to have serious trouble with minor offensives like burglary. But no one would ever pay a hidden village to investigate such things. But what if the village overall paid it. A simple tax on products sold would be more than enough to make it worth their time. And it could be a small one. Besides, the point was to help them wasn't it? Sakura knew that there had to be a way for them not to have to pay anything at all. Maybe just discounts on products Konoha bought from them. Anything would do.

Sakura rolled up the map again and put all of the papers on the nightstand beside her bed. She got up from the bed and went out onto the small balcony that she had. The village was still filled with lights and many people were walking around. It was a Saturday night so it made sense for people to be out at this late hour. Sakura spotted a few kids running around while their parents walked behind them. Sakura decided that reading a strangers mind for the purpose of training was not morally incorrect so she decided to read one of the mother's minds. _Why must we always go out with these people? Honestly, they are so full of themselves even though we are obviously better. And their children are such troublemakers. A horrible influence for my little_ prince.

Sakura couldn't help but giggle when she saw that _the little prince_ the woman was talking about was obviously the one coming up with all the ideas and games that she was disapproving of. Sakura looked at the little prince and read his mind. _Can't believe we got to hang out all day today. Hopefully mom will let me go with them tomorrow. I don't understand why mom doesn't seem to like them much. They're nice. And they are so much fun. And I've got a great idea for our next game..._Sakura smiled a little. It was sad how different a person's thoughts were just because of the age. It was even sadder that even though an adult is supposed to be more intelligent and mature that a kid could sometimes have the best view of the world. The view that all of them should have.

Sakura spotted a man walking a few blocks away. She could barely see him. Sakura tried to read his mind but she could only sense his presence. She kept on trying to push into his mind but after a few minutes all she accomplished was a headache. The pink haired kunoichi let out a frustrated sigh and went back inside. She closed the slide door and locked it.

Afterwards, Sakura crawled into bed, leaned back against the pillows, and stared up at the ceiling. Sakura sighed again. It would be another long day tomorrow but she just wanted to sleep.

And hopefully see Sasuke again.

* * *

><p>Itachi stood in front of the large windows and looked down at the village. He could see some people going out and having fun. The city was ablaze with lights and happiness. <em>And peace...<em>He thought. It was times like this, when he could get some time to think and be alone, that he was able to bask in the tranquility that he helped create. Moments when he saw a little boy out in the park with his friends that seemed to make everything better.

The door opened but Itachi didn't bother to turn around. The Elders walked into the room and sat down on opposite coaches. They were far too accustomed to finding Itachi there to be surprised by that anymore. "Happy birthday," Itachi whispered.

"Is that why your here?" Utatane asked him. Itachi finally turned around and walked over to them, though he didn't sit down.

"You're welcome," Itachi said not at all fazed by Utatane's harsh tone. "And I'm also here to talk to you guys about all the murders of our spies. You wouldn't have any idea who could be behind that do you?" Itachi's tone was not accusing or anything close to that. Yet Utatane and Homura seemed offended by his question.

"No, we know nothing of those murders," Homura responded, his voice guarded.

"Just asking," Itachi answered. "Have you been able to find any Anbu to take up a security detail?" he asked changing the subject. Utatane and Homura had been acting harsher than they usually did but asking them about it would just make matters worse.

"Danzo is still trying to find someone that he can spare," Homura answered him.

_Has too many of them away killing Akatsuki spies?_ Itachi thought but knew better than to voice that thought. "Please tell him that I would greatly appreciate it if he would find someone soon," he told them.

"He has other things to worry about," Utatane said.

"I'm aware of that," Itachi told her. He let out a sigh and looked back out through the windows.

"How is she doing?" Homura asked.

"Better than I expected," Itachi answered knowing exactly of whom they were talking about. He was wondering how she was holding up against Kisame but knew that it would be better to just let him teach her. "Hopefully Konan will be able to come soon," Itachi mused, more to himself than to them.

"We all hope for many things," Utatane whispered. Itachi knew what she was refereeing to but didn't say anything. It was quiet after that. Itachi knew that both of them must have been thinking over what that statement meant to them.

He knew he was.

* * *

><p><strong>Please review!<strong>


	13. A Christmas Memory

**Thank you to Bird of the Flame for reviewing the last chapter! Don't know whether they do celebrate Christmas or thanksgiving (doubt it) but I like the idea of them having those holidays so I'm just going to add them. Enjoy! And Merry Christmas! :D**

Chapter 13  
>A Christmas Memory<br>Songs: We Need A Little Christmas by the Glee Cast

Sakura slowly started to open her eyes and stretched out on the bed. She let out a heavy sigh and sat up. The sheets were nice and comfy, but she knew that if she wanted to get half the things done that she needed to do she would have to start early. And this was still not as early as she sometimes got up when she trained with Tsunade.

Sakura got of her bed before she could convince herself that she still could sleep a few more minutes and headed to the bathroom. Once she was done taking a shower she got dressed in a pair of black capris and a blue T-shirt. She was just walking out of the bathroom when she heard someone knocking on her door. Sakura quickly put on her ninja shoes and walked out of her bedroom. The knocking got louder, and louder. "Coming," Sakura called out hoping the noise would stop.

"About time, Forehead," Ino screamed at her when Sakura finally opened the door. Sakura was too shocked to answer her. Behind Ino were the rest of the Rookie Nine and Lee's team.

"What are you guys all doing here?" Sakura asked, caught of guard.

"Well, aren't you going to let us in?" Ino asked though she didn't wait for Sakura to respond and walked into the room. Sakura stepped aside so everyone else could go in.

"Morning, Sakura," Kiba greeted her with a huge smile on his face.

"Morning, Kiba," Sakura responded. It was good to see him back to his happy, cheery self. "So what are all of you doing here again?" Sakura asked as she looked at everyone there and closed the door.

"You seriously have work to do with this apartment of yours," Ino said as she took a seat on the sofa.

"Why are you avoiding my questions?" Sakura asked her.

"We're not ignoring them," Ino responded. It was more than obvious that she had come up with their little meeting. "It's just the first time that we have been to your new apartment."

"Will someone please tell me why you are all here?" Sakura said a little too loud.

"We heard what you're planning to do with the Konoha Military Police Force," Lee answered her.

"And we are here to help," Ino finished. Sakura looked at everyone there. She barely then noticed that they weren't in their usual outfits. They were dressed a lot like her. As if they were going to clean or do some other type of chore.

"Wait," Sakura said, "how did all of you find out about this?"

"News travels fast," Kiba responded, though he said it in a colder tone than he usually spoke in.

"Especially about you," Tenten added.

"Me?" Sakura said a little worried now.

"Ever since that incident," Tenten mumbled.

"Oh," Sakura said. She really didn't like being in the mouths of the villagers. She imagined that women that she saw yesterday gossiping about her with her "friends." She really didn't like that. "What are they saying?"

No one answered her for a while and Sakura noticed the worried glances that they sent each other. "That you're crazy," Kiba finally answered her. "They don't really understand why you're doing this. They say that you have Stockholm syndrome and that's why you want to help the Uchiha's."

"And others say you're crazy for putting your hopes on...Sasuke," Ino whispered.

"And then their are the more rational people that say it will be too hard to reestablish the police force, especially since Tsunade put you in charge of everything." Kiba added.

Sakura looked down on the floor. This it's-better-to-know-the-truth-thing was becoming really hard to follow. She didn't know what to think about all of the people's comments. She wanted to restore the honor and integrate that the Uchiha Clan once had but that seemed a lot harder now that everyone was already against the idea and they hadn't even started anything. But the thing that hurt her most was what they said about Sasuke. Of course they would think that it was a waste of time to believe in him. But they didn't know him.

"You okay?" Ino asked. Sakura looked up at her and gave her a small nod. "Good," she said. "You shouldn't listen to anything that they have to say. Now why don't we go and get started, we have a lot of work to do." Everyone stood and looked at Sakura.

"You guys really don't need to help with this," Sakura told them.

"We want to," Kiba said.

"Yeah, it'll be fun," Lee said.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru mumbled and Ino just glared at him.

"Alright," Sakura said a little reluctantly. She didn't want to bother any of them but it looked like they weren't about to leave. And it would be nice to spend some time with them. All of them made their way out of Sakura's apartment.

Soon they were on the streets heading to the police's headquarters. Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, Lee and Choji were leading the way, though it seemed like Shikamaru was sleep walking. Ino, Hinata and Tenten were on her left talking about what chores they would absolutely not do. "There is no way I'm going to get my new clothes dirty," Ino said. Sakura and Tenten just rolled their eyes.

"You should have worn something old," Tenten told her.

"I don't have anything else that I would want to get dirty," Ino complained.

"How have you been?" Sakura looked to her right and saw Kiba beside her smiling.

"Fine," Sakura answered. "You?"

"Good," Kiba responded and his gaze went to Akamaru who was running up to the boys in the front.

"He seems really happy today," Sakura said, referring to Akamaru.

"Yep, happy to help just like the rest of us," Kiba told her. Sakura smiled up at him. "Sorry about running of like that yesterday," Kiba said after a pause. "I really did have to meet up with Shino." Kiba started to rub the back of his neck.

"Don't worry about it," Sakura told him. "I believe you."

"Good," Kiba said as he gave her a big grin. Kiba opened his mouth to say something else but Ino beat him to it.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Sakura and Kiba both turned towards Ino to tell her off, but both of them kept their mouths shut when they saw that they had finally arrived at the Police Force building. Or what was left of it.

"Looks like we'll need to go and get some paint," Kiba said beside her.

"And wood," Neji added.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered. All of them just kept staring up at the building. It was hard to imagine how it looked like in its pristine condition.

"Well, we're not going to get anything done just standing here," Sakura said and she walked up the stairs into the building.

"I really hope there aren't any ghost in here," Ino mumbled.

"G-g-g-ghost," Hinata stuttered, more than usual.

"Ino!" Sakura complained. As much as she hated to admit it, she really didn't need any scary thoughts in her head at that moment. Sakura slowly opened the door to the building. Thankfully, there were a lot of windows so the lighting wasn't too much of a problem. Everything was covered in dust and some of the wood seemed damaged. The floor creaked a lot with every step that they took. Sakura was having a hard time not being freaked out.

"Looks like this part of the floor will need to be repaired," Shino said. He was looking down at a part of the floor that looked like it was ready to fall if a mouse ran on it.

"Choji and me will go and get it," Shikamaru offered. He didn't wait for anyone's reply and was out of the building by the time Sakura turned her head to look at him. Choji quickly followed behind him.

"Sakura and me could go get the paint," Kiba offered, suddenly beside her again. "If you don't mind?" he asked looking down at her.

"Not at all," Sakura responded.

"Then let's go," Kiba said. Sakura and Kiba walked out of the building and both failed to notice three of their teammates staring questioningly at their retreating forms.

Sakura was enjoying the sun on her face as Akamaru barked and ran ahead of them. "He sure is active," Sakura commented.

"Yep," Kiba responded as he looked at Akamaru as he barked back at them. "So," Kiba started after a short pause, "who are you going to be training with?"

"Well, Tsunade is teaching me a lot of things and I think I might be added to Ino's team, at least for the chunin exams," Sakura told him.

"Still can't believe Shikamaru became a chunin before any of us," Kiba stated.

"He deserves it though," Sakura defended her friend.

"But he's so freaking lazy," Kiba whined.

"You sound like Ino," Sakura told him. Kiba made a disgusted face and kept his mouth shut. Sakura giggled at his reaction. She didn't know why she felt so at peace when she was with Kiba. They had hardly ever said two words to each other but now she felt so comfortable talking to him, as if they had been best friends for years. She was wondering what had made Kiba suddenly talk to her too. He had started all of this, whatever this was. He had approached her the other day and talked to her. He had been nice to her. And he had started talking to her today as well. Why the sudden interest? "Kiba?" Sakura suddenly inquired.

"Yes," Kiba asked as he looked over at her. Sakura hesitated a bit. She wasn't sure how to word her question so that Kiba didn't get the wrong idea. "Is something wrong?" Kiba asked as he came to a stop and looked at her with a worried expression on his face.

"No," Sakura said and started walking again. She needed some type of movement to try and keep her from becoming a nervous wreck. "I was just wondering...why you suddenly started talking to me?" Sakura glanced over at Kiba and saw his shocked expression. "Don't get me wrong," Sakura said quickly, "it's not like I mind or anything...I was just curious."

Kiba laughed then. "Don't worry about it, Sakura," Kiba told her as he wiped a tear away from his eyes. "I just thought that you would be pretty lonely now that both your teammates are gone and with everything that has happened recently. There is no such thing as too many friends, right?" Kiba smiled at her, and Sakura relaxed again.

"Right," she agreed with him. She barely then noticed that Kiba was wearing a simple brown T-shirt with black pants. His hair was sticking out at different angles since he didn't have his forehead protector on. He looked really nice with his hair in that style.

"Can't wait for Halloween this year," Kiba said once they were turning a corner.

"Thinking of Halloween when it's barely September," Sakura asked with a small smile on her face.

"Yep, one of my favorite holidays," Kiba told her with his usual grin on his face. "Well, that and Christmas," he added.

"Let me guess," Sakura said, "because of all the presents?"

"Yeah," Kiba said, "But mainly because some of my favorite memories of my father are from Christmas," Kiba told her.

"Oh," Sakura wondered what had happened to his father. There were rumors that he had left his family. but Sakura didn't want to draw conclusions from simple rumors.

"Speaking of Christmas," Kiba suddenly said, "remember how hectic it got one year when we were all in the academy?" Sakura laughed. She didn't need Kiba to say anything else; she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"That sure was an unforgettable Christmas," Sakura answered. They were nine when it happened...

_Iruka-sensei came into the room with a cardboard box. Everyone started to hurry over to their seats since they didn't want to get scolded by Iruka. "Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day," Iruka greeted the class. "But," he began as he started to open the box, "we need to start decorating." He pulled out a few stars from the box and smiled up at the class. Everyone burst into screams of joy. Everyone got down from their seats and rushed over to Iruka. "Naruto, Kiba, Choji, you guys start getting some of the other boxes from outside," Iruka told them._

_Sakura and Ino rushed forward and grabbed some of the holly and walked over to the windows to start to put it up. All of the other students started to get decorations from the boxes and started to put them up around the room._

**_Haul out the holly_**  
><strong><em>Put up the tree before my spirit falls again<em>**

_Kiba was carrying in another box of decorations but he tripped and fell. Everyone ran towards him when all the stockings came out of the box. Kiba looked up and paled when he say everyone running towards him. But then he saw that the stockings had fallen out of the box and he lunged at them before the other kids could grab them._

**_Fill up the stocking_**  
><strong><em>I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now<em>**

_Sakura moved away from the box of stockings and started towards one of the other boxes of decorations. She noticed that the box only contained decorations for the tree so she looked back up to ask Iruka when they were going to get the tree. She didn't see Iruka, but she did see two boys that had stayed up in their seats. Shikamaru was sleeping, though Choji and the others would drag him down soon enough. But Sasuke was also up there reading a book. Sakura frowned but she couldn't think about it much cause the other girls started to push her when they saw Iruka bring in the tree._

**_For we need a little Christmas_**  
><strong><em>Right this very minute<em>**  
><strong><em>Candles on the window<em>**  
><strong><em>Carols at the spinet<em>**

_"Now, now," Iruka called out to everyone as he put the tree near a window in the front of the room, "All of you go and put your stockings on your desk then come back down." All the students hurried to their desks. Sakura started to move towards the box of stockings. There were only two left. Sakura looked up and saw that Choji had taken Shikamaru's stocking. She couldn't help but smile at how nice he was. Sakura pulled both stockings out and saw that one of them was Sasuke's._

**_Yes, we need a little Christmas_**  
><strong><em>Right this very minute<em>**

_Sakura quickly looked back towards the window. The leaves on the trees were still falling. It wasn't even that cold outside yet._

**_It hasn't snowed a single flurry  
><em>** **_But Santa, dear, we're in a hurry_**

_"Hurry up, Sakura," Ino called out to her. Sakura quickly made up her mind. She walked over to the Uchiha's desk and placed his stocking on the hook that was on the edge of his desk. Sasuke looked up from his book and their eyes met. Sakura quickly looked away from him and rushed over to her desk to put her stocking there._

_"Come on, Iruka-sensei," Naruto whined. "Why can't I go up on the ladder?"_

_"Because your tpo reckless," Iruka told him as he put more lights on the tree._

**_So climb down the chimney_**  
><strong><em>Put up the brightest string of light I've ever seen<em>**

_All of the kids there laughed at Naruto's upset expression. Sakura joined Ino's group of friends again. "Just please promise me that no one will bring in any 'homemade' pastries unless they really are good," Ino was saying. We all laughed remembering how someone had brought in some cookies that they had accidentally used salt instead of sugar for._

**_Slice up the fruitcake  
><em>** **_It's time we hung up some tinsel on that evergreen bough_**

_Sakura and Ino walked towards Iruka to give him decorations to put on the upper part of the tree. When they were walking back to the box of decorations, someone stuck out their foot and made Sakura trip. "Are you okay?" Ino immediately helped her up._

_"Oops, sorry," Ami told then from behind. Sakura just got up and kept walking, not wanting to get into any trouble with her._

**_For I've grown a littler leaner, grown a little colder  
><em>** **_Grown a little sadder, grown a little older_**

_Ino was ranting to her that she should stick up for herself more, but Sakura didn't pay her much mind. She pulled out one of the last decorations in the box. It was the angel that was supposed to go on the top of the tree. It had a beautiful white gown that shimmered in the light. Her wings were made out of soft, white feathers. Sakura smiled and almost forgot how badly she had fallen._

**_And I need a little angel sitting on my shoulder_**  
><strong><em>I need a little Christmas now<em>**

_Sakura walked back to the tree and gave the angel to Iruka-sensei. "Thank you, Sakura," Iruka smiled down at her. Sakura gave him a small smile. Iruka put the angel on the tree and everyone started cheering. Sakura looked around the room and saw that all of the other decorations had been put up. There was holly decorating the edges of all the desks and all the walls._

_Sakura kept looking around the room until she came to the back of the tree. Naruto, Choji, Kiba, and Shikamaru were there. They had taken a few chairs and stacked them on top of each other, though they didn't seem very stable. Sakura walked over to them. Naruto started climbing on the chairs, he had some more holly in his hands. "That doesn't look very stable," Sakura heard herself saying before she realized it. Shikamaru, Choji, and Kiba looked at her._

**_And we need a little Christmas_**  
><strong><em>Right this minute<em>**

_"Don't worry," Kiba told her as he grinned at her. "He has a hard head, he won't get hurt if he falls." Sakura gave him a wary look and moved her attention back to Naruto. He was on the top but the chairs were wobbling even worse than before. Sakura was about to tell him that he should get down but then the chairs collapsed. They were falling in her direction. Luckily for her Kiba pulled her out of the way before the chairs hit her._

_"Look out," Naruto screamed as he fell backwards. Everyone moved away from the tree. Naruto fell down on the tree and they both crashed into the floor. Naruto made his way out of the branches and poked his head around with a worried grin on his face and scratched the back of his head nervously._

_"NARUTO!" Iruka screamed._

"Can't believe Iruka-sensei also gave me detention for that," Sakura mumbled as she remembered being reprimanded by Iruka. Kiba started to laugh a little too hard for Sakura's taste. "That's not funny," Sakura told him. "I had tried to stop you guys."

"Well, you only got one detention," Kiba told her when he controlled his laughter, "We all got like a month's worth of detentions."

"You guys deserved it," Sakura said as she stuck her tongue out at him. That just made Kiba laugh again. Sakura couldn't help but laugh with him after that. She really was happy to have Kiba to cheer her up every now and then.

* * *

><p><strong>The best present I could receive from you guys is a review!<strong>


	14. A Short Rest and More Training

Chapter 14  
>A Short Rest and More Training<p>

The stars were beautiful that night and Sakura was happy that there weren't any clouds around to obscure her view of them. The cold grass below her was a relief to her sore muscles, though she was still breathing pretty hard. Beside her, Kisame let out a sigh. "Bet you weren't expecting to be stuck here, were you?" Sakura asked him, breaking the silence. It hadn't been an awkward silence or anything like that. Sakura had been trying to regulate her breathing and Kisame had been thinking.

"Didn't expect a lot of things in life to happen the way they did," Kisame whispered. Sakura kept quiet for a while. She had no idea of what Kisame had to endure and what made him the type of man he was today. "I was most definitely not expecting to be paired up with a kid." Sakura knew he wasn't referring to her.

"He was only thirteen when he joined, right?" Sakura asked him.

"Yeah, I think that's right," Kisame whispered again. "He was an arrogant bastard and I had an urge to kill him when we first met." Kisame didn't say anything after that and Sakura wasn't sure whether she could ask him anything more than that.

"You didn't like the partner you were assigned?" Sakura quietly asked.

"He wasn't assigned to me," Kisame told her, "I chose him as my partner." Sakura kept looking up at the stars. She wasn't sure how she felt about Kisame. He seemed like a heartless bastard when he was making her train to exhaustion. She still wasn't sure how she managed to make those twenty water clones, even if they only lasted for about a minute. But there was something about his tone of voice that made her think that there was a lot more to him than what he let on.

"Why?" Sakura asked him. She knew that he had every right to not answer any of her questions but she at least needed to try. It was more than simple curiosity; it didn't even have anything to do with knowing more about Itachi. Sakura wanted to understand this same a bit more.

Kisame didn't respond to her and Sakura didn't push him. She just kept staring up at the stars. After a long while, Sakura felt her eyelids start to get very heavy. Every time she closed her eyes it took a lot for her to open them again. "When I was still in Kirigakure, I was assigned to the Cypher Division as a bodyguard," Kisame began. Sakura was completely awake now, sleep the last thing on her mind. "When we were taking a rest on one of our missions, Ibiki ambushed us." Sakura remembered the man that had given them their first challenge on the Chunin exams. The scars that formed a gruesome pattern on his skull were still vivid in her mind's eye. Sakura decided that it wouldn't hurt to go into Kisame's mind and experience everything that he had. Sakura closed her eyes and did just that.

"My superior, Fuguki, specifically told me that the codes could not fall into enemy hands," Sakura let Kisame's words flow through her as she saw everything that happened. "So I killed all of them," Kisame said in a flat voice. Sakura shuddered. Kisame glanced over at her but Sakura made sure to stay still while she was under his gaze. But all she wanted to do was get as far away from that man as possible. All Sakura would have to do was raise her hand a little and she would touch that monster. She had seen how he hadn't hesitated to kill any of them, how he felt no remorse when he had done it. Sakura just couldn't understand how someone could do something like that. "Afterwards I found out that Fuguki was leaking information to the enemy and I killed him and took Samehada as my price."

Sakura restrained herself from shuddering this time. But she still felt disgusted. It took everything in her not to run away screaming from this man. But then she wasn't feeling her own emotions. She was suddenly struck by a huge wave of guilt and confusion. Kisame was thinking back to those murders but with different eyes. He was thinking of all the possible ways that he could have gotten them all out of there safely. That maybe he had acted too rashly. The woman's face that had invited him to eat with them was clear in his mind. But Kisame was confused. He had been loyal to his village but had betrayed the trust his teammates had given him. _What had been the right thing to do?_

Sakura felt guilty herself for thinking all those cruel things about him. He had been raised in a way where the village came before any individual. She had jumped the gun and judged Kisame without knowing just how much those murders had affected him. At that moment, he had thought that he had done what was right. But when he discovered that his own teacher had been betraying the village he had started to doubt if what he was doing was right or not. So why stay in the village if he didn't know what being loyal actually meant?

A strong wave of...sympathy hit Sakura. She had never had to face such tough decisions. _Yes, we have,_ her Inner spoke softly. She _was_ betraying her village, but, yet, it didn't feel that way to her. Helping Itachi always seemed so right to her that she never really had thought of what others might think if they knew. They would see it as the ultimate betrayal. Sasuke would see it as the ultimate betrayal. But she hadn't thought much about it when she made her decision. It had felt right to be with Itachi. She trusted him completely even though she hardly knew him. She didn't consider this a betrayal but that was what it was.

And Kisame's situation wasn't so different from what had happened with Itachi. And then she understood why he had told her that story. "Itachi understood you," Sakura whispered.

"I _thought_ he understood me," Kisame said. "Our situations are different."

"But they're the same," Sakura told him. "You both had to decide to betray your comrades or to let your village and everyone in it be in danger. You both decided that the village was more important than a few individuals. That's what we are taught. As young kids that will one day become ninjas, we are told that the village is the most important thing. And, even though they never actually say it, the village is more important than our own lives." Sakura turned her head to look at Kisame. He felt her stare but didn't move his gaze from the starlit night. "As ninja we have to make sacrifices and some of us will face harder sacrifices than others. You did what you had to do in order to protect your village."

Kisame didn't say anything for a long time and after a while Sakura looked back up at the sky. She knew that her inexperienced words would mean little to the S-ranked missing nin, but she had to try. She knew that he was hurting and all she wanted to do was comfort this murderer somehow. If anyone she new saw her now, they would think that she had completely lost it. She was helping a man that had killed his own clan and was trying to comfort someone who had killed his comrades in cold blood. But she didn't care.

"You sound a lot like Itachi," Kisame whispered after what felt like an hour or so.

"Thanks," Sakura whispered back.

Kisame chuckled a little. "That wasn't a compliment."

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "It is to me," she responded looking over at him.

"Thought you would say that," Kisame said. "In the end, I'm glad I ended up with Itachi as a partner."

"Why so?" Sakura asked.

"All the other members are either complete idiots or complete weirdos," Kisame told her.

"You must feel right at home," Sakura teased him with a smile on her face.

"Don't tempt me," Kisame said. To put emphasis on his statement he grabbed a hold of Samehada. Sakura couldn't help but giggle. "Lets see if you're so cheery and happy when we start your training again," Kisame mumbled. Sakura quickly stopped laughing though Kisame was the one that started laughing then.

"Jerk," she muttered. "Anyway, what are the other members like?"

"Idiots and weirdos," Kisame repeated.

"You already said that," Sakura told him. "How about a more detailed description on how they are idiots or weirdos?"

Kisame let out a frustrated sigh but answered her anyways. "Well, Sasori and Deidara are a combination of the two. Sasori is a creepy...well I'm not sure what he is. I think it's just another on of his puppets that he is hiding in but who knows. And then Deidara would be the idiot of the pair though he's just as weird. Has mouths on both palms. Kakuzu and Hidan are another pair of members. Hidan's new to Akatsuki. Feel bad for Kakuzu; Hidan is a pervert and a loud mouth. Not to mention he has a really weird religion. Kakuzu is also strange. Has more than one life."

"More than one life?" Sakura asked.

"Well, technically they both do. They're called the immortal team. Hidan can't be killed and Kakuzu has too many lives for someone to be able to manage to kill him." Sakura opened her mouth to ask another question but Kisame interrupted her, "Ask Itachi about how that's possible, I don't like to explain it. Then there is Zetsu who doesn't really have a partner and is more like a plant than anything else. And Orochimaru used to be partnered with Sasori but he left."

"Sounds like one messed up family," Sakura mused.

"You're telling me," Kisame mumbled. They kept quiet after that. Sakura had seen all of their faces in Kisame's head. They all did seem a bit weird. "But I'm sure you have some pretty weird friends yourself," Kisame commented.

"You have no idea how right you are," Sakura mumbled.

"Well, I already met the fox-boy and Hatake," Kisame told her. "How bad are the others?"

"One of them has bugs living inside his body, another is part dog as close as you can get to being literal without actually being literal, and another is the most laziest person I have ever known but also the smartest, and another one is just to energetic," Sakura said as she remembered all of the Rookie Nine and Neji's team. Other than her friends Ino and Hinata, she really hadn't spent too much time with any of the others. Again, Sakura wondered what her clone was doing.

"The things we must deal with," Kisame mumbled.

"Does Itachi give you a hard time?" Sakura asked almost mockingly.

"More like the other way around," Kisame told her. "Though I'm glad he got me out of those damn meetings we have been having." Sakura laughed at his comment. "As if you don't hate meetings," Kisame argued with her.

"Never really been to a meeting," Sakura responded. "At least not one like yours are." Sakura had to stifle a yawn. It was odd to her that they could talk about Akatsuki with such nonchalance.

Kisame moved his hand up towards her face. "Go to sleep, Chibi," Kisame told her as he ruffled her hair.

If she hadn't been so tired, Sakura would have been offended by the new nickname she had received. "How do I know you won't kill me Same?"

"I'll let you rest for a few hours," Kisame answered her. Sakura was asleep as soon as the words left his lips. Kisame looked over at her. She was pretty beaten up. Kisame looked away from his "student" and back up at the stars. After a few short minutes, Kisame chose to sleep rather than let his past plague his mind.

* * *

><p>"The sun isn't even up," Sakura complained for the hundredth time. <em>I doubt we even got two hours of sleep,<em> her Inner mused.

_Tell that to him,_ Sakura challenged. "Quit complaining," Kisame barked at her again. "Maybe I should take out your vocal cords so you can't speak any longer," he mused and laughed at the look of terror in Sakura's eyes. "Be scared," Kisame told her.

"Just tell me what miracle you want me to perform now," Sakura said.

"Grumpy," Kisame commented.

"I got less than two hours of sleep," Sakura said through clenched teeth. "Of course I'm grumpy!" Sakura barked out.

"Are you sure you and the dog-boy you mentioned yesterday aren't related," Kisame asked with a smirk. Kisame ducked his head when Sakura threw a ice-spear his way.

"Don't compare me to that arrogant, hot-headed dog," Sakura yelled at him. "And that was only a few hours ago."

"Then don't act like one." Sakura glared at him when she understood the double meaning of calling her a _dog._

"Let's just get this over with," Sakura muttered after a while.

"As you wish," Kisame said as he walked over to stand on the river again. Sakura was about to walk over to him but he motioned for her to stay where she was. Kisame started to form seals without saying another word. "Water Release: Gunshot." Suddenly Kisame started attacking her with balls of water coming out of his mouth. Sakura had just enough time to get out of the way before they hit her. She had to keep on running as Kisame kept throwing them her way. She stopped and formed a ice shield in front of her.

"You're lucky that your ice is just naturally hard and strong," Kisame told her. Sakura moved her hands a little and the ice melted away. She looked over to her left and saw the damage that had been made by his attacks. They had created craters in the ground where they had made impact.

"Are you crazy?" Sakura asked him. "You could have killed me."

"But you dodged like you were supposed to," Kisame told her. "Your enemies aren't going to have so much consideration."

Sakura ignored the chastising tone in Kisame's voice. "So I have to learn how to do that," Sakura stated but Kisame still nodded. Sakura was getting used to using water techniques so it didn't take her long to mold her chakra into water, condense it so it would have just as much impact, and then expel it from her mouth. When it hit the ground it didn't make as big of a crater as Kisame's but it was close.

"Again," Kisame commanded. Sakura had to perform that jutsu another four times before her crater was bigger than Kisame's. "Now in succession." _He is_ _never satisfied_, Inner told her. Sakura was able to make three gunshots before she started to feel her chakra weaken. Her few hours of sleep didn't help her recover half of the chakra she needed.

Sakura was resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily when Kisame stood up from the resting place he had been at. "One more technique and then you can rest," he told her as he stood in front of her on the river. Sakura perked up at the promise of rest. Kisame made more seals, but these she recognized. "Water Prison." Sakura quickly gulped air as she was surrounded by water.

She was lucky that she had been thinking about their fight with Zabuza or else she would have been in a much worse situation. Sakura couldn't move her body. But she didn't need to. Sakura moved chakra to her hands. Then she froze the water surrounding her and left only a little bit of the water unfrozen near her. The density of the water left wasn't nearly as great as it had been. Sakura focused chakra to her fist and then hit the ice around her. It broke and Sakura was set free.

"Crafty," Kisame commented. Sakura didn't even bother to answer. She just went to work on the new jutsu. She formed the seals and put her hand out in front of her. Sakura manipulated the water under Kisame and formed the same water prison Kisame had. Sakura furrowed her brows concentrating her chakra on the prison when Kisame started to break through. Her lack of chakra and experience made it extremely easy for Kisame to break free.

Sakura fell back and rested her hands behind her to keep her from falling on her back. Kisame shook his head and walked back onto land. He sat down and didn't say anything afterwards. Sakura stayed on the river for a little while more. _Why in the world aren't you on the ground sleeping?_ her Inner asked.

She didn't answer. She didn't know what was holding her back from going over there and having some well-deserved rest. But Sakura didn't move. The only thing that kept moving through her head was a memory. Naruto and Sasuke both coming back at night from their training session. They were both exhausted and beat up but they had satisfied grins on their faces. They had worked all day to master the tree climbing technique that Kakashi had taught them that day. Their faces kept swimming around in her head. They always worked themselves to the bone when trying to master a new technique. You had to force them _not _to train.

Without another thought, Sakura pushed herself up. She made a water clone and performed the water prison on the clone. The clone tried to escape and Sakura tried to keep the prison up. She kept repeating the procedure every time the clone was able to break free.

Kisame opened one eye and looked at the girl. He grunted then closed his eye again with a smirk on his face.


	15. Dinner, Suspicions, Charms, and Exams!

Chapter 15  
>Dinner, Suspicions, Charms, and Exams?<p>

Sakura rubbed some of the sweat from her forehead and let out a sigh. Kiba looked over at her and laughed. "What?" Sakura asked.

"Look at the back of your hand," Kiba told her. She looked down and noticed that she had paint on her hand. Meaning she probably had paint on her forehead now. Sakura grabbed a towel from the basket by her feet and rubbed her forehead then hand.

"Gone?"

"Yep," Kiba responded as he went back to painting.

"We are almost done," Ino said cheerfully.

"We?" Choji and Lee said in unison.

"I helped," Ino protested.

"Helped to annoy the crap out of everyone," Kiba interjected. All the other ninja gave nods of agreements. Ino had been complaining a lot but the day had been rather fun. They had been able to clean and paint the entire building. It was times like these when clones really came in handy. Sakura smiled lightly as she remembered all the bickering that had been going on. Sakura also remembered the water fight Kiba and Choji had started. At least it had gotten some of the dirt on her off, though now her skin felt dry since the water had evaporated.

Sakura noticed Ino's mouth open to throw another insult at Kiba so she interrupted her, "The place looks great, right?" Ino closed her mouth and eyed her. Sakura didn't understand the sudden scrutiny but she ignored her.

"Sure does," Tenten said. Sakura had gotten to know Tenten a lot more this day. They had chatted while they cleaned and painted and Sakura discovered that Tenten was funny and an overall good person to be with. She had encouraged Sakura to keep training and even offered to be her sparing partner. Sakura had told her that she would keep it in mind and she most definitely would. And she had even talked to Choji more.

"Well, now that we're all done," Choji said, "let's go eat."

"And we'd be more than happy to treat you guys."

Everyone turned towards the entrance and were shocked by who they saw there. Kakashi, Kurenai, Guy, and Asuma were standing at the door. "What are you guys doing here?" Tenten asked them.

"We heard that you guys had spent all day on this so we thought you would all be hungry," Asuma explained.

"So, we decided that you guys deserved to be treated to dinner after such a long day," Kakashi continued.

"That's great," Choji said as he was the first one out the door.

"I'm starving," Kiba added as he followed. All the others dropped their tools and started to go outside. Sakura imagined Naruto's wide smile as he would have ran out the door pushing both Kiba and Choji out of the way and yelling that he wanted ramen.

"This was very considerate of you," a voice beside her said. She quickly looked up to see Kakashi next to her. "I'm sure they would have wanted this."

"Yeah," Sakura said. She turned to look at the wall that Kakashi had been staring at. Sakura had decided that along with keeping the Uchiha's crest on the uniforms and on the roof outside to add the crest on the wall opposite of the entrance. Her and Kiba had worked extra long making sure it was perfect.

"Hey, are you guys coming?" Kiba screamed from the entrance. Akamaru just barked as if asking the same question.

"Let's go," Kakashi said from beside her. Sakura nodded and walked out of the building with her sensei.

* * *

><p>Dinner was hectic. The food was delicious and everyone was making jokes and having a good time. Sakura was too. Well, occasionally she would get lost in her thoughts. She couldn't help but think of a remark Naruto would say to one of Kiba's jokes or how quiet Sasuke would be during the whole conversation. She hadn't seen him in her dreams this time. She had actually had a nightmare in the beginning of the night. She had imagined everything that Kiba had told her from his fight with the sound nin. Only it was more bloody and horror-filled. She had woken up shouting and it took her awhile to get back to sleep.<p>

"Sakura," Ino said waving a hand in her face. Sakura looked over at her friend with a questioning look. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just tired," Sakura said as she took a sip of her drink. Sakura almost forced herself into the conversations around her. _I miss them,_ Inner said.

_So do I,_ Sakura answered.

_What do you think Sakura is up to?_

_Training I guess,_ Sakura answered. She laughed when Choji accidentally hit Kiba with a piece of pork. Kiba threw one of his own pieces at Choji. "Thanks," Choji happily responded. Kiba's face turned red as if steam was about to come out of his ears. Sakura laughed even harder. Kiba had opened his mouth to yell at Choji but when he heard Sakura's laugh he looked over at her. She pointed to her cheek and Kiba realized that he still had barbeque sauce on him. He couldn't help but mouth the words "We're even," to her as he wiped the sauce of his face with a napkin. Sakura just gave him a thumbs-up in response.

Akamaru barked from under the table and Kiba tossed him a piece of pork. Sakura just rolled her eyes. She might not be a veterinarian but she knew that wasn't too health for dogs.

* * *

><p>Beside her, Ino had turned to look at Sakura to see why she had been laughing. She was completely confused about the little exchange between Kiba and Sakura. And that just reminded her of that morning. Tenten, Lee, and herself and been completely confused as to why Kiba and asked Sakura to go buy the paint with him.<p>

_"Since when did those two become friends?" Tenten asked._

_"I have no idea," Ino said. "They were also talking on our way here," Ino added._

_"I noticed that too," Tenten told her._

_"My Sakura is being taken away from me," Lee had cried, though both girls ignored him._

Ino kept observing her friend for a little while longer. Kiba went back to his conversations with the guys but every now and then would look back at Sakura and smile. Sakura would just roll her eyes at the dog-boy. "Hey," Ino asked. Sakura looked over at her. "What is up with you and Kiba?" Ino whispered as she leaned closer to Kiba.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?" Sakura whispered back. Ino just rolled her eyes at her friend.

"I mean that you two seem a lot closer than you used to be," Ino explained. "What gives?"

"Nothing, we just talk more." Sakura leaned away from Ino and continued to eat her food. Ino wanted to scream that two people don't just suddenly become friends and that's that. Ino looked back at Kiba and noticed that he was looking down at his plate. Ino furrowed her eyebrows. What is going on here?

* * *

><p>Kiba kept looking at his plate for a little while longer. When he was sure the loudmouth blond wouldn't be looking at him he looked up at her. He had heard everything. Did she forget that he had heightened senses? Well, if that was the case, he was happy she did. Kiba was just as confused as Sakura. So they talked now, was that a crime? People can't make new friends anymore? He had noticed Ino watching them and how she would furrow her brows every time he had smiled at Sakura.<p>

Kiba had known that Sakura was paying attention to their conversation. And he knew that she hadn't forgotten their conversation from that morning. Kiba had been bored on the way to the store so he had asked Sakura if she wanted to play a game. Sakura had given him a puzzled look but agreed. Kiba had explained the rules to her. You couldn't say anything that started with the letter 's.' Sakura had given him a weird look but agreed to play.

They had to think about their next sentence for about two minutes each before they said anything. Sakura had been very competitive about the whole thing and that just made it more fun. After a few minutes of playing they had agreed to not be able to stay quiet for more than thirty seconds. That's when things got really funny. They would both start a sentences and when they ran into an 's' word would think for a little bit, panic, then go off onto an entirely different subject. It was entertaining. And Kiba had come up with a nickname for Sakura: Pinkie. Though they hadn't established a winner.

So, now that they were at dinner, every time someone would say a word that started with the letter 's' Kiba would look over at Sakura and smirk. Sakura would fight back a smile but wouldn't succeed very well. And Ino had kept looking back and forth between them all the time.

"Kiba!" Choji screamed at him. He hadn't realized that the boy had been calling him for a very long time before he had finally extinguished his patience and yelled at the boy.

"What?" Kiba yelled back. He knew that Choji had every right to be mad at him but he couldn't help it when his temper spiked.

"Calm down, man," Choji told him. "Just wanted to ask if you wanted to come train with me and Shikamaru tomorrow.

"Sure," Kiba answered and ate the rest of his food, temper completely forgotten.

"Do you have anything planned for tomorrow?" Ino asked Sakura.

"Sorry, I do. Still have a lot of things to get done for the police."

"That sucks," Ino answered. "You should find some time in that busy schedule of yours to decorate your apartment."

"I will," Sakura told her as she remembered Itachi saying something similar to that.

Sakura felt something warm and wet touch her leg. She looked under the table and saw that Akamaru was right beside her leg. His eyes were big and begging. Sakura groaned. No wonder Kiba would give him all the pork he wanted. Sakura got one piece of her own meat and put her hand down for Akamaru to eat. He ate all of it quickly and kept licking her hand afterwards as if to say thank you.

Kiba looked under the table to look for Akamaru and was surprised to find him on the other side of the table. He looked back up and saw that Sakura had given him a piece of pork. And yet she had chastised him about it before. Not by saying anything, but the disapproving look on her face said it all. Sakura looked back up and met Kiba's eyes. She blushed slightly at being caught but ignored him. Kiba chuckled at her weird behavior. If anything, being friends with Sakura was sure going to be a lot more entertaining.

All to soon, dinner was over. Sakura had been able to enjoy the rest of her dinner talking and laughing with Ino, Hinata, and Tenten. All of them slowly walked out of the restaurant and said their goodbyes. Sakura was relieved to no longer be under the watchful eye of Asuma. He had kept her under observation all throughout dinner. It was creepy always feeling his eyes bore into her. She was glad to be away from him, no matter how mean that sounded.

Sakura was quietly walking down the street towards her new apartment when she heard footsteps behind her. She looked back and was surprised to see Akamaru and Kiba running up to her. "Hey," Kiba said as he came to a stop in front of her.

"Hey," Sakura answered a little confused.

"What?"

"Why are you here?"

"My home is that way," Kiba answered pointing to the way that she had been walking.

"Oh," Sakura said feeling a little stupid. Kiba just smirked at her.

"Shall we?" Kiba said.

"Sure," Sakura answered. Kiba suggested that they keep playing their little game again. "Alright."

Kiba opened his mouth and then thought better about it. Sakura opened her mouth to tease him about something, but then noticed that she also couldn't say that. Kiba thought for a few seconds and then answered her. "I'll be training with Choji and...the pineapple ponytail chunin." Sakura laughed as he struggled to come up with another way to say Shikamaru.

"Well, don't get too hurt," Sakura told him.

"What are you trying to..." Kiba faltered a little but quickly recovered, "insinuate?"

"Insinuate? Wow, a big word Kiba." Kiba opened his mouth again, most likely to say shut up, but then closed it again.

"They are going to be the ones that need to go to the hospital," Kiba said.

"If you...think," Sakura lamely finished.

"This is hard," Kiba answered.

"But you just made a..." Sakura kept quiet for a while. She made a face when she couldn't think of a substitute. "Be quiet." Kiba just laughed at her.

"Hey, time out for awhile," Kiba said as he stopped walking. Sakura looked over at him and arched an eyebrow. He fished around in his pocket for a little while then smiled. He took his hand out and kept his hand in a fist. He put it out in front of her and opened it. In his palm lay a small wooden carved thing. Sakura leaned in to get a better look and then she noticed what it was. It was a dog or a wolf, she wasn't sure. She could tell that it had been hand carved. The wood used was a brown she recognized but she couldn't remember from where. On the side of the dog were two symbols carved into it. But she couldn't exactly tell what they were.

"They're the Inuzuka clan markings," Kiba told her. Sakura looked up at him and then it hit her. The wood the dog-wolf had been carved out of was almost the same shade of brown as Kiba's messy hair. And the markings on the dog's side were the same as the ones on both his cheeks.

"It's beautiful," Sakura told him.

"Thanks," Kiba replied with a cocky grin. "It's yours now." Sakura looked away from the amazing carved dog and stared wide eyed at Kiba.

"You can't be serious," Sakura argued.

"Of course I am," Kiba responded. "This is sorta like a hobby for me. I've given Hinata one too and Shino. It's not that big of a deal." Sakura just then noticed that the little wooden dog had a silver chain attached to it.

"Well, I..."Sakura trailed off. She wasn't sure whether it would be rude to decline the lovely charm or not.

"I'm not taking no as an answer," Kiba told her. Sakura straightened up and let out a defeated sigh. A smirk quickly played out on Kiba's face. He moved behind her and put on the necklace for her.

"Thanks," Sakura told him.

"No problem. I'm just glad you liked it." Sakura smiled back at him. They continued their game until they reached the apartment complex. "Night, Kiba. And thanks for the necklace."

"Your welcome," Kiba told her. He walked a few paces back as he waved goodbye. Before he tuned around Kiba said, "I'll se-" Kiba stopped and hit his forehead with his palm.

"Ha!" Sakura yelled as she pointed at him. "I win." Sakura stuck her tongue out at him.

"This time," Kiba warned. He waved again. And Akamaru barked a good bye then they were both out of her sight. Sakura stayed at the foot of the stairs that led up to the apartments. She was thinking about Naruto. Kiba reminded her a lot of him. But that wasn't the reason she felt so...right when he was around. Kiba had Naruto's hot-hotheadedness and his loudmouth. But Kiba wasn't Naruto. That was really clear. Kiba was nice and funny but in a completely different way from Naruto. Sakura's hand unconsciously started to twirl around the dog charm on her necklace. Sakura let out a sigh. Why were things always so complicated?

Sakura slowly started to walk up to her apartment. When she entered the dark and dead quiet, Sakura was about to call out to her mom. She stood frozen at the doorframe. She still hadn't quite adapted to the fact that she now lived along. Sakura slowly stepped in and closed the door behind her. She slid down until she was sitting on the floor leaning against the door. Sakura felt extremely lonely there in that big apartment. Ino had been right. She needed to make her next project to decorate her new home.

As she opened the door to her room Sakura couldn't help but hope that maybe Itachi had decided to visit her today. She was disappointed when she saw that no one was there. Sakura slowly crawled onto her bed and then lay down. She stared at the ceiling for a little while before getting up and heading to the bathroom to have a nice bath and then some sleep.

* * *

><p>Tsunade gazed out of her windows at the village that she now lead. It still seemed like she would suddenly wake up and realize that it had all been a dream. She still couldn't believe how much her life had changed since Jiraiya had brought that troublesome loudmouth blond into her life. He had definitely been the deciding factor in her choice. In Naruto she saw hope for not only the village but for the world.<p>

A small smile grazed her lips. It had been obvious how much Naruto cared for Sakura when she first saw the two of them together. But it was even more obvious that Sakura was in love with Sasuke. The way she had reacted when he had opened his eyes was more than just relief or happiness. It had seemed that life was breathed into her again when Sasuke was better. Sakura was smart, and yet it seemed like she was clueless about Naruto's feelings towards her.

Now both boys were gone and neither would return until at least three years had passed. They had already gotten through three months and Sakura was obviously struggling. Though that just made her focus on her training even more. And now the chunin exams were coming up again. And it seemed like Tsunade would have to put Sakura with Choji and Ino since Shikamaru would no longer have to take the exams. Which meant that they would have to do a lot more training together so they could be a real team by the time the chunin exams came around in two months.

Tsunade had been able to convince people to change the exams a little more. For this year at least, the last two parts of the examination would be kept. Tsunade turned back to her desk and the paperwork. She had been looking through last year's participants for the chunin exams. She was amazed at the Rookie Nine's achievements in the exams. Naruto had a pretty good relationship with all of them. Sakura would have to have more missions with them in order to actually be able to form those types of relationships.

She had been hoping that she wouldn't have to put Sakura on any more missions but since the chunin exams were right around the corner they all needed to prepare. Tsunade could only hope that Sakura would be ready for this. She would have to talk with her. But it seemed like she was getting better. Tsunade had heard about the ruckus her and the rest of her friends had started today at the police headquarters.

Well, all of this could be left until tomorrow. Now she needed to be able to take care of one more issue. Tsunade prepared herself for the long night this would probably turn out to be.

* * *

><p><strong>I know the last couple of chapters have been a little boring and trust me, if they were boring for you to read they were hard for me to write. So next time there will be a time skip and Itachi will be back. The clones will come back<strong> **together and things will get...well, complicated.**

**Please Review!**


	16. Two Gifts

Chapter 16  
>Two Gifts<br>Songs: Right Here by Miley Cirus

"Would you quit doing that," Kisame said for about the hundredth time.

"I'm nervous, okay?" Sakura told him as she kept drumming her fingers on the tree she was standing next to her.

"Why don't I just cut of your hand?"

"Then I would tap my foot," Sakura countered. Kisame glared at her. Sakura let out an exasperated sigh as she sat down on the ground. "I've never done this before, Same. So I'm nervous."

"It's not that big of a deal," Kisame told her as he took a seat a few feet away from her.

"To me it is," Sakura countered. She had gotten through a week of training with Kisame and didn't die. That in itself had been a huge accomplishment. The more important one was that she had mastered many of the water techniques he had taught her. And, even though Sakura hated to admit it, when they had a sparing session again she noticed that her ice was different now that she knew a little more about water transformation. Sakura had also gotten "closer" to the S-ranked missing nin. They weren't friends so to speak but they would have a good time bickering whenever Sakura allowed herself to rest. "Why are they taking so long?"

"Calm down, Chibi," Kisame told her. She was really annoying when she wanted to be. Sakura didn't even bother to glare at him at the use of her nickname. At fist, every time he called her that she would start a fight with the shark-man. Then, after getting her ass kicked every single time, Sakura decided that she would allow the nickname...for now. Especially since she had come up with one of her own. Though he did get annoyed every once in a while.

"Well, sorry, but I'm pretty worried about finding out what my clone has been up to these past few days," Sakura said.

Kisame kept quiet for a little while longer. He was about to fall asleep when the damn drumming began. "Quit it!"

"But I'm having a panic attack here," Sakura exclaimed as she raised her hands above her head.

"They're here," Kisame said as he stood up. Sakura jumped to her feet. At the far edge of the clearing Itachi and...herself were walking over to them. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. Her clone had clean, combed hair, a white T-shirt with black capris. Sakura glanced down at herself. She was still covered with bruises and cuts. Her clothes were torn and stained with blood. And her hair was sticking out at all points and dry and stiff. Her clone had definitely gotten the better end of the bargain.

"See you, Chibi," Kisame said as he walked over towards the forest.

"You're leaving?" Sakura asked a little sad.

"Akatsuki business," Kisame gave as an answer.

"Later, Same," Sakura called out to him. She was more than surprised to know that she would actually miss Kisame. Sakura looked back at Itachi and herself.

"Just undo the jutsu and get ready," Itachi told her. Sakura hesitated a little but then did as she was told. The clone in front of her was just smoke. Memories ambushed Sakura when the clone had disappeared. Her knees buckled and she fell to the floor. Sakura tried to keep cool but she had never experienced anything like this. Conversations, images, scents, so many different things that she didn't do flooded her mind. But they were her thoughts. It was from her perspective that she saw the world. But it was odd more than anything._ She_ hadn't done any of those things and yet she thought of the new memories as her own and not memories that she had seen in someone's mind. She had always been able to tell the difference between her thoughts and feelings and other people's. Odd was definitely the best way to describe it.

Itachi stood in front of her giving her some time to sort through everything that was happening. Her breathing slowly regulated and she sat back and looked at him. "Weird, right?"

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled. She was waiting for his reaction to the police's reestablishment and he seemed to understand that thanks to the look of worry on her face. He sat down next to her and looked out at the clearing. Sakura also decided to look at what was left. Even with all the damage that it had taken from her training with Kisame, the clearing was beautiful and peaceful.

"I'm not mad," Itachi whispered after a while. "I appreciate what you did for my clan. Thank you." A shiver went down Sakura's spine. She hadn't noticed that Sasuke and Itachi had something about their voices that was similar until now when Itachi repeated the last words Sasuke had said to her.

"Your welcome," Sakura whispered back.

"Well I'm glad to see you survived Kisame's training session."

"Barely," Sakura said glad that the worst was out of the way. She looked down at a cut that she had on her leg. She put her hand above it and sent chakra to her hand. Sakura smiled as she saw the cut slowly heal. She was glad to see that her training with Tsunade had started again.

"I had said that you would earn something hadn't I?" Sakura looked up from her newly healed leg and gave Itachi a confused look. "Before I left I told you that I might just be nice enough to give you something in return for all the hard work you did these past few days."

"What's my reward?" Sakura asked as she finally remembered what Itachi was talking about.

"A memory," Itachi said as he gently pushed Sakura down on the floor and tapped her forehead with his index and middle finger.

_Sakura was calmly picking flowers of the sidewalk. She looked up and saw a boy around her age accompanied by someone older than him. The little boy was talking eagerly about something though Sakura couldn't hear what he was saying. The older one just smiled and nodded occasionally. It was obvious to Sakura that they were brothers since they looked so much alike. She smiled softly at the scene before her. Sometimes she wished that she could have an older brother too._

_Sakura looked back at all the pretty flowers and kept walking. She was so focused on the flowers that she tripped over a few rocks that were in front of her. "Ah," Sakura yelped as she fell on the floor. She slowly tried to pick herself up when two much stronger and bigger hands helped her to sit up. Sakura looked up at the person that had helped her up. Her gaze was met with dark onyx eyes. "Are you okay?" Sakura looked over to where the voice had come from and saw the boy that had been walking on the other street._

_Sakura was able to quickly recover herself and nodded. "Looks like you scraped your knee," the older boy said. His voice was kind and gentle. Sakura then noticed the pain in her knee. The older boy got out a handkerchief and handed it to his brother. "Could you please go and get this wet?" he asked the young boy. The boy nodded and ran of to the nearest water fountain. "Don't worry, I'll help you clean the wound."_

_"Thank you," Sakura told him._

_"No problem," the boy told her with a smile. "I'm Itachi and he's my brother Sasuke," Itachi introduced them as Sasuke came back with the wet handkerchief. "Thanks."_

_"I'm Sakura," she introduced herself._

_"Well, it's very nice to meet you. This is going to sting a bit," Itachi warned her. Sakura bit down on her lip to make sure that she didn't scream._

_"Don't worry," Sasuke told her, "Onii-chan is really good at healing wounds."_

_"Especially since someone is always getting injured," Itachi teased him._

_"Am not," Sasuke quickly defended himself. Sakura couldn't help but smile at their bickering. The cold cloth stung her cut but it wasn't too bad. Her mom had done this before whenever she got a scrape. Itachi wiped of all the blood and then smiled at Sakura._

_"That wasn't so bad was it, Saki?" Itachi asked as he stood up and offered her a hand. Sakura took it and brushed the dirt from her capri pants._

_"Thank you," Sakura said. She really didn't even mind the nickname._

_"My pleasure," Itachi said. "Would you like to come with us, we were just on our way to the park." Sakura slowly nodded her head._

Sakura remembered that day. They had had a great time at the park. Itachi would push her on the swings and then her and Sasuke would play on the monkey bars. She smiled as she remembered how Itachi always warned them to be careful and not fall. Sakura moved her arm to cover her eyes and she bit down on her bottom lip. Sasuke's smile was the only thing she saw. Every single second of the day Sasuke had been smiling because he had been with Itachi. He was nothing compared to the Sasuke she knew. That little boy had been so peaceful and happy. It was hard for her to know that he became such a hateful person.

"You okay?" Sakura nodded though she didn't get up or remove her hand. Sakura felt as Itachi put his hand in her hair. That simple act of kindness made her feel so much better.

_I'll be right here where you need me_  
><em>Anytime just keep believing<br>_ _And I'll be, right here_

Then she felt angry at herself. If she felt so badly about how Sasuke was, then she couldn't imagine how much it hurt Itachi to think about this. And yet he was the one comforting her. Sakura fought of her tears and sat up. She looked at Itachi and saw all the pain that he allowed himself to show her.

"Thank you, Ita-kun," Sakura said, using the old nickname she had given him.

"My pleasure," Itachi answered with a sad smile. Neither of them said anything for a while. "You did really well in your lessons with Kisame," Itachi praised her. "I know it must have been hard for you to see that."

"Not as hard as it must be for you," Sakura mumbled.

"Don't belittle your own pain," Itachi told her.

_If you ever need a friend_  
><em>Someone to care and understand<em>  
><em>I'll be, right here<em>

"Though it is hard to think back to those times," Itachi whispered. "But there isn't anything we can do to change the past. The future, well, that's something we have to work at." Sakura nodded. "Nice necklace," Itachi told her. Sakura looked down at the wooden dog charm that was hanging around her neck. She never really thought Kiba would be the person to help her out so much.

"Yeah," Sakura said.

"Mind if I add my own charm," Itachi said as he got something out of his pocket. Sakura looked at his hand and was left speechless. In his hand was a beautiful charm that Sakura instantly recognized as the Kurama clan's crest. The three separate swirls were connected together by thing pieces of that precious stone.

"Opal," Sakura murmured. She was hypnotized by all the different colors that swirled around in the white opal as the sun hit it at different angles.

"Yep," Itachi answered. "There is a cave that has a variety of different gemstones. I carved this one out for you while I was gone. I infused my chakra into it. So all you have to do if you're ever in trouble or you just need me is to use your chakra on this."

_Isn't it great that you know that_  
><em>I'm ready to go wherever your at<em>  
><em>Anywhere, I'll be there<em>

Itachi put the charm in her hand. He then pulled out another necklace that had been hidden under his shirt. The charm on that one was the Uchiha's crest made of ruby and what appeared to be moonstone. "Try it," Itachi told her. Sakura looked back down at her charm and focused her chakra on it. It started to glow and the colors within the opal became even more vibrant. Sakura looked up and saw that Itachi's was also glowing. "This way I'll now whenever you may need me and how to find you."

Sakura unclasped her necklace and added in Itachi's charm then put the necklace back on. "I know that I'm asking a lot of you," Itachi said in a serious voice. "I won't be able to be there with you every step of the way but I'll try my best to make sure I am. It's going to be tough and sometimes you might not even trust me. But I want you to know that I'll always try and be there for you."

_Whenever you need me_  
><em>There's no need to worry<br>_ _You know that I'm gonna be_  
><em>Right here<em>

"Even when I'm not there beside you, I'll be there with you," Itachi said as he pointed to Sakura's charm. "Don't hesitate to ask me for help or to just sit and talk and listen."

_All you have to do is call my name_  
><em>No matter how close or far away<em>  
><em>Ask me once, and I'll come<br>_ _I'll come running_

"So when I can't be there, just look at your charm. Add chakra to it again but think about your father this time," Itachi instructed her. She wasn't sure what he meant but she did what she was told. Sakura grabbed the charm again and added chakra with he father's face in her mind. The charm began to change from the Kurama's crest to the Uchiha's crest. Sakura stared wide-eyed at the opal charm.

_And when I can't be with you dream me near_  
><em>Keep me in your heart and I'll appear<em>

"I'll always be there." Sakura felt her eyes burn with tears. She found what Itachi said to her more than comforting. It made her feel like everything really was going to be alright. The loneliness that she had felt every time that she went home didn't bother her as much as it used to.

_All you gotta do  
><em> _Is turn around,_  
><em>Close your eyes,<em>  
><em>Look inside,<em>  
><em>I'm right here<em>

"Thank you," Sakura whispered. Itachi smiled at her.

"Better?" Sakura nodded. "Well, then I guess we should move on to the other thing we need to discuss." Sakura furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "A date for the chunin exams has been set."

"When?" Sakura immediately asked, very serious now.

"Two months," Itachi responded. Sakura slowly nodded her head. "You'll be added to Ino's team for the exams so you'll have to go to their training sessions. This means your schedule will be very busy from now on." Sakura groaned at the sound of that. She already had a million things to do with the P.F. "Mornings will be spent with Tsunade, afternoons with Team 10, then you'll handle anything else you might have to do in the evenings and nights and early mornings will be spent here."

"When do I sleep?"

"You might be out on missions occasionally but other then that this should be your schedule for the rest of the three years," Itachi said as he smiled at her completely ignoring her other question. Sakura just fell back on the floor but kept her legs crossed. She usually never noticed the clouds moving so it always caught her attention when she could see them move by.

"I have training with Tsunade," Sakura mumbled as she sat up again. Itachi gave her an apologetic smile.

"You have a bit of time before you need to go," Itachi told her. Sakura tilted her head to the side in question. "So, Kiba," Itachi mused. Sakura groaned.

"Not you too," Sakura said very annoyed. She couldn't even glance at Kiba's general direction cause Ino would immediately bombarded her with questions and accusations. The fact that there really wasn't anything going on made it even more annoying.

"He's, how do girls put it, cute," Itachi teased her.

"Not really," Sakura mumbled. She never really thought of Kiba as cute. He wasn't ugly but he never really caught her attention in that way.

_Especially with that furry jacket that he always wore, _Inner commented.

"Akamaru on the other hand is adorable."

"There are other guys out there," Itachi told her, a bit more serious now. Sakura tensed at that. She opened her mouth to explain to Itachi that she wasn't interested in anyone else but Itachi just put up his hand to quiet her. "I'm not saying forget about him nor am I trying to diminish what you feel for him. I'm just saying that you should keep your eyes and mind open."

"Why?" Sakura asked. Did Itachi think that she wasn't good enough for Sasuke?

"If you were to go on a couple of dates or see guys the way all girls your age do, then you might just find someone that catches your interest. If you don't and you just fixate on Sasuke for these three years then people will always have doubts about whether you really love him or not. They will conclude that it's just an obsession. They'll say that you haven't given any other guys a chance and therefore you don't really know if he is the one. Date guys and still love Sasuke and that will eliminate some of their protests. But you have to be objective over the matter. Don't compare them to Sasuke right of the back. Everyone has his or her faults and imperfections. You have to give yourself a chance to fall in love with someone else. Otherwise, you yourself will have doubts about whether or not what you feel for Sasuke is real."

Sakura looked away from Itachi's onyx eyes. Her logical side was telling her that what Itachi had said was true and that she should listen to him. But she couldn't look at things objectively like he wanted her too. She was biased when it came to guys. In her mind, none of them would ever be as good as Sasuke. Sakura closed her eyes and put her head in her hands.

"Just think about it," Itachi told her. "You wouldn't be betraying him or proving him right." Sakura understood what he meant by the latter comment. Sasuke believed that no one could love a monster like him. He didn't believe Sakura when she told him that she loved him. If she fell in love with someone else, then Sasuke would feel like he was right. He would be driven deeper into the hatred and anguish that he was in. If he even cared one little bit what she felt. "Forget that Sasuke even exists when you think about other guys. Use that mind control of yours to actually make that possible. Give yourself a chance to be happy. I'd love to be able to call you my sister-in-law but I still think you should at least give dating a chance even if you're not serious about the guy."

Sakura looked up at him. She felt like he was reading her mind for how sure he knew all of her thoughts and exactly what to say. "Did you?" Sakura hesitantly asked.

"Did I what?" Itachi asked, genuinely confused.

"Date?" Sakura clarified. Itachi threw his head back and laughed. It wasn't a mocking laugh or an are-you-an-idiot laugh. It was a real laugh fueled by amusement.

"Yeah." Itachi answered with a slight blush on his face. Sakura's eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she saw that blush. But then his eyes got dark and the small smile that had been on his face vanished.

"She was an Uchiha?" Sakura asked though she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Itachi repeated, though his voice had no trace of humor or amusement this time. He stared off into space for a little while before he seemed to remember that she was there. "You should get going," Itachi told her as he stood up.

"Right," Sakura mumbled as she got up. "I'll see you tonight?" Itachi nodded though it was obvious that he wasn't really paying attention to her. "Hey," Sakura said as she touched his arm. "What you said before goes both ways, alright? If you ever need to talk about anything don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't," Itachi told her as he smiled at her. Then he did something unexpected. He brought her closer to him and hugged her. At first Sakura was too shocked to do anything. But then she slowly wrapped her arms around his waist. "Thanks, Saki," Itachi told her as he patted her head and let her go.

"No problem," Sakura told him with a smile on her face. Sakura was about to walk away when a thought struck her. "Hey, do you think you could ever teach me how to make one of these charms?" Sakura asked as she held up her charm. Itachi seemed a little confused about her question but then nodded. "Great. See you tonight," Sakura said as she left the clearing. Itachi just waved his goodbyes.


	17. Kidnapped

**Happy New Year's everyone! Doubt I'll be able to get another chapter up in time for midnight. Starting of the year strong with a new chapter that I am very proud of. Hope you guys all feel the same way. New Year's Resolution: write more and make quicker updates! :D**

Chapter 17  
>Kidnapped<br>Song: I Got Nerve by Hannah Montana

The way to the Hokage building suddenly seemed twice as long as it usually did. Itachi's words kept circling around in her head. Her mind kept going back to an image of Kiba and her conscious just wouldn't make any sense. One second she was considering doing what Itachi told her with a cool calm head. The next she was screaming at herself that she was a traitor and guilt would wash over her. Then she wouldn't even know what exactly she felt guilty about. Did she feel guilty for actually considering going out with other guys or for not giving herself a chance? Afterwards she would come to the conclusion that she didn't need to see any other guys because she was absolutely sure that her love for Sasuke would never change. She would be peaceful and calm until her inner would show up with an annoying question or comment like, _It couldn't hurt to go out with at least one guy._ or _What if there_ _really is someone out there better for us?_ And then it would start all over again.

Either way, the end result was be a very upset and confused Sakura. And that was how she was when she walked into the Hokage's office. She was so submerged in her thoughts that she didn't even hear that the Hokage had started talking. Once she did, Sakura quickly tried to understand what she was saying. "...a few changes there and everything will be perfect. It seems like the new members are really enjoying the work. How much longer do you think until we can start repairing the other P.F. buildings and recruiting more people?"

Sakura quickly read through Tsuande's most recent memories to be able to know what she had been saying and not upset the very short-tempered, super-strength woman in front of her. "I think it won't be more than a week. I have already received requests to be allowed into the organization. I'll try and work on that tonight and get the answers you need," Sakura coolly answered.

Tsunade tried to hide the satisfied smile on her face to no avail. Tsunade had been surprised when Sakura had shown up at her office and requested that her training start again. She had tried to convince the girl that a little more time of healing wouldn't hurt but Sakura would have none of that. And she had performed up to Tsunade's expectations. It was marvelous at the speed that Sakura was able to learn and apply concepts of healing. It seemed like she had a gift for healing. And Sakura's ability to take full control of reestablishing such a big and important organization added to Tsunade's astonishment. Though Sakura had said that it was all thanks to Isao's help on the project, Isao himself had told her, when Sakura had left the room, that he had only helped recruit members and that Sakura had handled all the rest. She was proud in how far she had gotten in these past few days.

"Shizune should be waiting for you at the hospital," Tsunade told her. Sakura bowed and then left the room. Tsunade kept looking at the closed door for a little while longer even though she knew she should get back to work on the paperwork in front of her. Though Sakura seemed fine and healthy Tsunade was not convinced. No matter how strong and resilient someone was, losing their clan and being kidnapped and raped by someone was not something that people over came so easily. It seemed to Tsunade that Sakura was holding it all inside her and that sooner or later it would break her. But Sakura showed no signs of worry or nervousness. She seemed like those ordeals never happened and that made her worry even more.

It wasn't like she wanted Sakura to be in pain. Sakura had mourned the death of her parents and her clan. And Tsunade knew that she was in the right set of mind when she seemed to be continuing with her life. But the Sakura she had heard about from the villagers and ninjas wouldn't have been able to get back up so easily. It just didn't seem right. Something else was at work here. And it irritated Tsunade to not know what it was.

With a heavy sigh, Tsunade looked back down at the files in front of her. The papers showed detailed mission reports from various members of Root. The reports were perfect as always but something wasn't right here either. The reports varied from location and reason. Yes, she herself had signed the forms to allow these missions but now that she saw all of them together suspicion started to grow in her head. Root had been calm when she had first become Hokage. Only two or three ninja were sent out per week. And suddenly, her paperwork had consisted of request upon request for missions to be allowed. It was more than odd to her, the sudden spike in activity.

It wasn't normal. Danzo was up to something. But the missions were all perfectly understandable. She could find no pattern in their location or purpose. The locations were scattered and the purposes too diverse for there to be some underlying plan in them. Tsunade had checked the dates of departure and arrival and they fit in perfect time with the time it would take to arrive at the destination, complete the mission, and then return to the village. No Root members had spent more time outside of the village then they absolutely needed to. So why did Tsunade have a bad feeling about this when she saw the files on her desk. Even Shizune hadn't been able to find any reason to be suspicious.

"Paranoid," Tsunade mumbled to herself as she signed the Root's files.

* * *

><p>"Very good, Sakura," Shizune praised. Sakura had successfully healed a little girl's broken arm. It had been a clean break so Sakura had just needed to attach the two parts together with her chakra. But considering that it was her first time healing a broken bone and the little amount of time that she had been in learning this, it was very remarkable.<p>

"Thank you," the little girl said as she threw her arms around Sakura's waist. Sakura smiled kindly at the girl and patted her head. The mom took the little girl away and Shizune and Sakura made their way to the next patient. It had been Tsunade's idea to teach Sakura in the hospital. She already knew the main concepts that were to be used in any time of injury so it would be helpful if Sakura was faced with unexpected challenges. And the best place to find a variety of injuries was in the hospital. It always took a while to convince the patients that Sakura was capable of healing them but they always agreed. Though if the injury required quick and precise techniques Shizune would heal and Sakura would just observe which was still very informative.

"Is something wrong?" Shizune asked the girl while they were walking back to the Hokage building after a long morning in the hospital.

"No, everything is fine," Sakura quickly answered. Though Sakura immediately looked back down at the floor and seemed to be deep in thought.

"You know you can talk to me if you have anything bothering you," Shizune told her.

"I know," Sakura answered. It looked like Sakura was debating whether to tell her what was bothering her or not so Shizune let her sort out her thoughts. "There is nothing really bothering me," Sakura began after an internal debate, "but I guess I would like another opinion on the matter."

"Glad to help," Shizune told her.

Sakura stayed quiet not sure how to phrase her question. "Do you...is...could...could Kiba be considered...cute?" Shizune almost hadn't been able to hear the last part of the girl's question since her voice kept fading as she continued to talk. Once she finally realized what Sakura had asked her Shizune just stared at the girl. Upon realizing what the girl's question had been, she expected a blushing and timid Sakura. But Sakura looked very serious and...confused.

"Uuummm," Shizune said as she thought over the question again. "Yes, I guess he could be considered...cute. Why do you ask?"

Sakura let out a deep sigh and looked back up at Shizune. "Someone told me that he was cute and when I disagreed they said that I needed to stop fixating on Sasuke and see guys with an unbiased mind. I just wanted to see if there was any truth in that person's remarks."

Shizune studied her for a moment. She had never seen Sakura act like this. When she met Sakura, she was all about Sasuke. Then he had broken her heart and she was all about her training. After that, she had been kidnapped and her clan murdered. And the Sakura that had been there during those moments surprised her. Sakura had been strong and was able to push past all of the pain and suffering. But the girl that was asking her these questions was different from all the other versions of Sakura that she had seen. This girl was insecure and confused. Yes, Sakura had been insecure about herself while Sasuke was still in the village but that was over whether she was good enough for him or not. This type of insecure was over herself. It was about her state of mind and the way she saw the world. It was just a bit more profound. And her confusion was tinged with fear. The poor girl just didn't know what to believe in anymore. And then Shizune realized something that almost everyone forgot when dealing with young ninja. Sakura's behavior wasn't strange. It was more than normal for a girl her age to start wondering what real love feels like and whether what she was feeling for a certain boy was love. But because she was a ninja, people almost seem to ignore the fact that she could act like a normal teenage girl because that's exactly what she was: a teenage girl dealing with a variety of different problems at once and not sure about how to handle that.

"I think that person has a point," Shizune told her after thinking through what she had said. "There are plenty of other fine boys out there that you could possibly be interested in and there is nothing wrong with you thinking about it. You're a young teenage girl. It's more than alright for you to act like one. Even if you are a ninja." Sakura nodded her head thinking through what Shizune told her and what she could mean by it. "Oh, I almost forgot," Shizune suddenly exclaimed. "Kurenai had scheduled a training session with you today to help with your genjutsu."

"Where?" Sakura asked, more than happy to get her mind off of her current problem.

_Um, hello, Idiot, Kiba will probably be there,_ her Inner chirped in. Sakura internally groaned.

"At team 8's usual training grounds." Shizune quickly told her how to get there and then waved as Sakura left in the direction she had pointed out.

* * *

><p>She knew exactly where she would have to meet Kurenai and she still had a bit of time on her hands before she had to be there. So without thinking too much about it, Sakura made her way to the library. She had been thinking about it a lot the last week. Now that her team was gone if she ever went on a mission it would be with other people that she wasn't as acquainted to. And with her training with Tsunade she would obviously be considered the medic nin of the group. So it should be more than normal for Sakura to feel compelled to learn everything she could about the clan's around her.<p>

So, with that in mind, Sakura checked out as many books as she could carry about the Hyuga's, Yamanka's, and Aburame's. It didn't take her long to stop by her apartment to leave the books and then reach Team 8's usual training spot. When she arrived at the grounds, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino were training. She stayed near the tree line and watched them practice. They all seemed to be very familiar with what the other person was going to do. It made Sakura a little nervous. Choji and Ino were probably already used to fight along side each other and now she would have to be added to the equation.

"They've improved," Kurenai said as she appeared next to her. Sakura feinted shock. She had already sensed Kurenai approaching. It had become instinct for Sakura to always be aware of her surroundings since Kisame had a habit of randomly attacking her.

"They seem to be very accustomed to fighting with one another," Sakura commented. Kurenai nodded her head. Akamaru was suddenly at her other side licking her leg and whining in order to get her attention. Sakura bent her knees and went down to Akamaru's height. She patted his head and scratched his neck for a while.

"S-s-sakura?" Said girl looked up to see the three ninja in front of her sweating and breathing hard.

"Hey, Hinata," Sakura greeted her. "Shino, Kiba."

"Sakura," Shino acknowledged with a nod.

"Hey, Pinkie," Kiba said with a grin. Sakura grimaced at her nickname. It was odd. Having never talked to Kiba but having talked to him...Confusing. "What brings you around here?" He asked.

Sakura opened her mouth to explain but Kurenai beat her to it. "I'm going to be giving her some lessons on genjutsu," Kurenai explained. "You guys are more than welcome to join."

"I-I think I w-will," Hinata said with a small smile.

"I'd rather just keep practicing," Kiba said as he put both hands behind his head.

"I have to go," Shino said.

"Why? We've only been training for an hour or so," Kiba complained...loudly.

"It's my father's birthday and the Aburame Clan is having a celebration that I must attend," Shino explained to them.

"Oh," Kiba said. "Well, tell him we said congratulations." Both Sakura and Hinata nodded in agreement.

"I will," Shino said. He was about to leave when another ninja entered the training grounds and quickly made his way to them. Sakura stood up and stiffened. She could sense the distress and fear that the ninja was radiating. This meant bad news.

"Sorry to interrupt," the ninja said as he came to a stop in front of them. That's when Sakura was able to see his face and his uniform.

"Hideo what's wrong," Sakura said. The man looked at her as if he hadn't seen her before. He bowed briefly towards her and then handed her a piece of paper that he had been holding. Sakura didn't hesitate to open the folded paper and read it.

"Aburame Shibi has been kidnapped," he informed them.

"What?" Kiba and Kurenai bellowed.

"When?" Shino asked. His voice was calm and steady but Sakura could feel the bit of panic that he was feeling.

"Just twenty minutes ago," Sakura answered before Hideo could answer. "The culprits believe to be missing nin."

"I'm going on the rescue team," Shino immediately said.

"So am I," Kiba added as he stood beside Shino with a serious expression.

"We should just let the P.F. take care of this," Kurenai told the boys.

"No," Sakura answered. She was still the temporary leader of the P.F. so she hoped that she wasn't overstepping her powers and would get scolded for this later. "Team 8 is the best tracking team we have available that are already familiar with Aburame-san's scent. They go. And so will Isao. Tell him to get things ready and meet us at the gate in half an hour. I'll take them to the scene where he was kidnapped to see if they can pick up any scents." Hideo was not at all surprised by Sakura's authoritative voice and just nodded then left to deliver the message.

_I know where I stand  
><em> _I know who I am_

Sakura looked back at Team 8 and was a little taken aback by _their _shocked expressions. "You have the power to do that?" Kurenai asked.

Sakura nodded. "I'm still the temporary leader and I've assigned missions to other members, this is no different," Sakura said hoping that she was right.

"Thank you." Sakura was surprised to hear Shino's voice so soft and quiet. She gave him a reassuring smile and then was back to her serious appearance.

"Follow me, I'll take you to the scene," Sakura said as she started walking away. Sakura heard their footsteps behind her so she just kept walking without looking back. _Itachi!_ Sakura screamed in her head.

_What's wrong?_ came Itachi's voice.

_Aburame Shibi has been kidnapped,_ Sakura informed him. She felt Itachi's surprise and then his calm collected voice responded her.

_By whom_, he asked.

_The leader's name is Takeshi,_ she told him.

_I've heard of them. Be careful, they are strong. And keep control over your powers. Only use what Tsunade has taught you unless you are absolutely sure that none of the others are watching_, he warned her.

_What are you talking about? I'm not going,_ Sakura thought.

_You're not?_

_Of cou-_

"Sakura, you're coming with us right?" Kurenai asked her.

"Well, I," Sakura began a little unsure._ Are you making her ask that?_ Sakura said, furious.

_Of course not,_ Itachi told her.

"You should come," Kurenai told her. "I know you've only had a few months with the Hokage, but we could use any knowledge that you may know." Sakura didn't know how she could say no to that. And there wasn't anything wrong with her going with them.

"I'll go," Sakura answered. The other members just nodded their heads.

_I would never run away_  
><em>When life gets bad<em>

When they finally arrived at the Aburame compound, Konoha police were there keeping everyone else out. "But we are part of the Aburame clan," one man screamed at the officer. "We deserve to be told what is happening." Other people behind him gave affirmative noises. Sakura walked right past them and looked at a tall blond officer. She was glad that she had forced herself to remember the names of all the officers in the P.F.

"Katsumi," Sakura greeted. The man bowed to her. "Who ordered the lock out?"

"Isao, Haruno-san," Katsumi answered her. Sakura nodded approving of the method. It was the best way to preserve the evidence.

"Let us through," Sakura commanded. The officer didn't hesitate to move out of the way for her.

_Everything I see _  
><em>Every part of me<em>

Sakura was about to walk past him when a strong hand grabbed her and pulled her back. She looked up to see that it was the Aburame member that had been arguing with Katsumi.

"Why should she be let into the compound but not us," the man yelled.

"Let her go, Muta-san," Shino calmly ordered the man. Muta seemed to hesitate but then let her go.

"Who is she?" The question had been directed at Shino but Sakura answered.

"Haruno Sakura, apprentice to the Hokage and temporary leader of the Konoha Military Police Force," Sakura coolly answered. Muta stared at her as if she was lying. She couldn't blame him. A thirteen year old genin leading the P.F. seemed like a bad joke. "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a crime scene to analyze."

_What I said, you heard  
>Now I got you spinning<em>

"We could be of much more help than you," Muta said. Sakura turned around but before she could think of something to say Katsumi stepped in front of her. And a lot of the other officers came up behind her.

"I think you better start showing Haruno-san a little more respect than that," Katsumi told him through gritted teeth. "She single-handedly restored the P.F. It's thanks to her that we have enough money to keep the building working, that we have a better organization system, and that everything within the police works smoothly and in order. She's always the first one into the building and the last one out. She's worked hard to take care of every problem quickly and efficiently, so show her the respect that she deserves."

_Gonna get what I deserve_  
><em>I got nerve<em>

Sakura felt tears come to her eyes. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Katsumi was defending her and praising her. He had been the most adamant about her being too young and inexperienced to actually join the P.F. He was always watching her every move to point out all her mistakes and flaws. And yet here he was. Here they all were. Defending her pride and honor. It touched her in a way that she had never experienced before.

"Don't worry, Katsumi," Sakura said as she moved from behind to stand beside him. "I appreciate all of you defending me but we must remember that their clan leader has just been kidnapped and they are under a lot of stress." Muta glared at her though he kept his mouth shut.

"Muta-san," Shino said beside him. "I have to agree with the officers. It's thanks to Sakura-san that my team and myself will be able to go out and rescue my father. You know that if Anbu was handling this then none of us would have anything to do with the rescue mission." Shino's voice wasn't chastising or even mad. It was firm and reasonable. He would make a great clan leader one day. Muta also seemed to finally come to reason.

Sakura turned to Katsumi. "Give them a copy of the report and our findings," Sakura ordered. "And make sure they stay updated with the investigation. Once we leave limit the lock-out to the crime scene itself instead of the entire compound."

"Yes, Haruno-san," Katsumi replied as he bowed again. The other officers returned to their original positions after bowing to her. Sakura led Team 8 into the compound without any further interference. Once they arrived at Shino's house, Sakura led them to the backyard. Sakura had to admit that it surprised her to see that there weren't bugs crawling all over the place.

Kiba and Akamaru started to walk around the backyard sniffing for a scent. Shino sent his bugs to look for chakra signals. Hinata used her Byakugan to see if she could learn the enemies' chakra signature. Sakura stood beside Kurenai at the entrance but didn't keep still. She observed every single piece of the yard to find something out of place. There were a lot of places were the grass was bent so that meant that the attackers were men. But something else caught her eye. She was about to walk over to it when Kiba suddenly yelled, "I got a trace."

All of the other members quickly went to where Kiba and Akamaru were standing. "It's faint, but I got one scent that smells a bit like Shino's and three others. It leads back out of the compound and southwest out of the village." Everyone nodded their heads.

Sakura checked the time on the clock in the living room she could see through the windows. "We have about fifteen minutes. Everyone go and get whatever it is you might need and meet up at the gates," Sakura told them. It was obvious to her that they were a little uncomfortable receiving orders from her but she didn't really care at the moment. Sakura walked out of Shino's house and headed back to the other officers.

"Did you find anything?" came Muta's nervous question.

"Kiba was able to pick up a feint scent of Aburame-san and he says there are at least three attackers. They headed southwest and out of the village," Sakura told them. All the Aburame members nodded. Sakura turned to Katsumi who had been jotting everything she said down. "In about ten minutes feel free to allow the Aburame back into their homes. And see if you can get them to lock down the village."

"You think they have an inside man?" Katsumi asked her.

"Possibly," Sakura answered. There was a quick gust of wind and everyone turned around. Four Anbu members were standing there and Sakura could feel their anger.

"I think we will be handling everything from here on out," the leader said.

"I don't think that will be necessary," Sakura said, forcing her voice to remain calm and steady. So standing up to a member of a proponent clan was easy for her. An Anbu member? Not so much. "The P.F. already havee a team preparing to set out and our officers are already caught up on the situation at hand. We can handle this."

_I know what you think  
><em> _Not afraid to stare you down until you blink_

One of the members beside him laughed. "I had heard that a _kid _had been put in charge of the P.F. but I can't believe it's actually true," he said, voice thick with mockery. Sakura felt Katsumi's rage and moved a little to be directly in front of him.

"Anbu will be handling this matter," the leader repeated.

"Look, we don't have time to be arguing about who's top dog here," Sakura stated losing her patience. "Our team is ready to leave."

"Your team is constructed of genin, the victim's own son is one of them! How do you think he will handle the pressure?"

"He will handle the pressure just fine," Sakura said through gritted teeth.

_I know where I stand  
><em> _I know who I am  
><em> _I would never run away when life gets bad_

"We will not allow you to-"

"Why don't we let the Aburame clan decide," Sakura said. "After all it is their leader that is in danger."

_I know what you think  
><em> _Not afraid to stare you down until you blink_

The leader obviously didn't like the idea but he didn't complain. Both Sakura and him looked at the Aburame clan.

Muta's response was immediate and clear, "We would prefer if the Police Force were to handle things." The Anbu members obviously tensed at that.

Sakura turned back to the leader with a kind smile on her face. "Now, if you guys have so much spare time on your hands that you can argue with us about who handles this," Sakura began in a sweet, loving tone, but her voice got strong and loud as she said, "Why don't you go and check how in the world three missing nin could enter and escape the village with a captive?" Sakura didn't wait for a response but simply walked away

_Gonna get what I deserve  
><em> _I got nerve!_

She had all of five minutes to return to her apartment to grab her stuff. Sakura received a pleasant surprise when she entered the room and found a hip pouch with her kunai's on the coffee table. Sakura looked through the new pouch and was happy to see that it had all the things she may need in order to heal someone. _Thanks, Ita-kun._ Sakura thought.

_Be careful,_ came his quick reply. _And nicely done._ Sakura could hear the smirk in his voice. Without another glance behind her, Sakura was out the door and headed to the gates.

**Please Review!**


	18. A Decoy?

Chapter 18  
>A Decoy?<p>

They had been traveling through the forest for a solid twenty minutes. It made everyone there nervous to see how ahead the enemies were. After they had met at the gates, they had moved to the southwestern part to see if Kiba could pick up their scent again. It had taken him a while but he had finally been able to pick up a feint scent that was Aburame-san's. Kiba had followed the scent and he noticed that it got stronger the further away they were from the village.

"Do you think they had been purposefully hiding their scent?" Shino asked.

"Yeah," Kiba answered. "They did their research."

"Which means we should just be careful, they are more than professionals in this," Isao told them. Kurenai nodded.

"Can you tell if they're close by?" she asked Kiba who was up front.

"No," Kiba said. Sakura could tell that he was feeling pretty bad about not being able to know everything that a full-fledged Inuzuka would be able to. Everyone, except Isao, seemed to understand what Kiba was feeling. Again, Sakura felt very lonesome that she didn't have a team with her. Her hand instinctively went up to play with the wooden charm Kiba had given her. She was a little surprised when she felt the cool stone on her fingertips. She remembered what Itachi had told her when he gave her the charm and that made her feel a little more relaxed.

Behind her, Kurenai and Isao were speaking in hushed voices. Hinata and Shino weren't too far behind her and Kiba but they weren't talking. "Nice charm," Kiba said. Sakura already had a retort about being modest when she realized that he probably wasn't referring to the wooden dog he gave her but to the opal charm she had between her fingers.

"Thanks," Sakura said. "I found it in a box of belongings that had survived the fire. Hadn't really been able to look at it before yesterday," Sakura whispered the last part. She felt immensely guilty for lying to Kiba after how nice he had been with her but she couldn't tell him the truth. "My mom always used to wear it."

"It's beautiful," Kiba said and that was the end of that conversation. Kiba went back to focusing on finding the scents. This mission really wasn't one to be talking anyway. Sakura remembered back to the file that she had read while Kiba had been looking for the scents. Isao had brought the file they had on Takeshi. It was the old one Uchiha had on him but it was better than nothing. The file said that he was a fire element user. Not to mention that he was at the level of a jonin. He had been ruthless since he left the Leaf. He had gotten many supporters and made a life out of taking jobs that shinobi refused to do. He was suspected of many murders and intrusions into villages. That fact made her and Isao nervous. Some other daiymo might have paid Takeshi to abduct an Aburame member in order to discover clan secrets. Taking the leader of the clan must have been his sole idea since his profile said he was arrogant and spontaneous but still very calculative.

Kiba came to an abrupt stop and Sakura almost fell of the branch she had stopped at. "What is it Kiba?" Kurenai asked.

"They split up," Kiba growled out.

"Both trails have his scent," Sakura said understanding why Kiba must be frustrated with the change of events. He just managed a nod. "Kurenai take Shino and Hinata and pick a trail. Isao, Kiba and myself will take the other one."

"If we don't find anything within the hour we come back here," Isao said. This was his first mission back since his injury but he seemed perfectly at ease. Kurenai nodded but looked at Kiba wearily.

"Shino," Kurenai asked turning to the young boy whose bugs were traveling towards both trails. After a while Shino pointed to the trail that went of their original course. Kurenai nodded towards Isao once more before she and her team took of.

"Keep your guard up," Isao said as he came to stand between Kiba and Sakura. "One trail will lead to an ambush and the other to Aburame-san. Either way we are going to have a battle on our hands." Sakura was on edge. For now she didn't sense any other presence around them but her radius of sense wasn't all that big.

They took off again following the scent Kiba had. She knew that it might have been better to get a more experienced member of the Inuzuka clan to come with them but it was too late to start doubting her first decision. They would have to make use with what they had. And what they had was a prodigy in the Inuzuka clan and someone who would one day lead that clan. It wasn't too hard to imagine that Kiba must have been thinking the same thing as her. But she trusted that Kiba's abilities would help them achieve their mission.

"Get down!" Isao screamed as they were suddenly ambushed by kunai and shuriken. In a flash Sakura was on the forest ground kunai at hand redirecting every weapon that came her way. Isao and Kiba came to kneel behind her. They were all very attentive to where the next attack could come from. And then a ninja appeared in front of each of them. "Damn," Isao mumbled under his breathe. They had very little time for any more words when the ninja attacked them.

Sakura stuck with dodging and using taijutsu. She was able to get a chakra enhanced punch on one of them and was very surprised to see smoke suddenly. "Their clones?" Sakura called out to the others. She got her answer pretty quickly because two more ninja appeared right in front of her.

"Fang Wolf Fang!" Sakura heard Kiba shout. She was to busy punching and defending herself to even spare a glance at her teammates. One of the clones was able to land a kick to her abdomen, which sent her flying back and hitting a tree. _Deja vu much,_ Inner commented as Sakura rubbed her head. When she looked up she saw about a dozen kunai coming her way. Sakura was about to lift her hand to form an ice shield when she remembered that she couldn't use those techniques. Sakura was able to move out of the way to prevent all of the kunai from stabbing her but she had been too slow and two kunai stabbed her left arm as she moved away.

Sakura swallowed her groan of pain and instead removed one of the kunai to stab another clone that was near her and then throw it at a clone that was behind Kiba. He glanced back when he heard the pop and gave Sakura a nod. Sakura then removed the other kunai to deflect the other shuriken that were being thrown her way.

"We need to take out the real one," Isao shouted at them over the fight.

"Smell him out, Akamaru," Kiba told his companion. Kiba kept on fighting his opponents but always kept an eye on Akamaru, even though his lapse of attention caused him to receive a few punches and cuts. Sakura kept her mind near Akamaru and was still able to focus on the fight before her. She was almost thankful that Kisame always kept attacking her even when she had little chakra to use. Her taijutsu had really improved. And since she couldn't trust herself to use any other jutsu for she might accidentally use one she shouldn't know, Sakura was forced to use mainly taijutsu.

Akamaru ran towards Kiba and jumped to catch a kunai that had been aimed at Kiba's back. The dog then got on Kiba's head and somehow he seemed to be able to stay on him even with Kiba moving about dodging attacks. "Third tree on you right, Isao-san," Kiba yelled over his shoulder. In an instant, Isao disappeared. A few seconds later the shadow clones disappeared as well. Sakura and Kiba both let out a sigh of relief.

"Should we go and help the others," Isao asked looking at Kiba. Sakura quickly walked over to him and started to heal the cuts and bruises that were forming.

"The scents continue on," Kiba said. "Thanks," he told Sakura as she finished healing him. She was glad that Kiba only had minor injuries. She looked at Isao but he didn't have any injuries at all, so Sakura healed her arm. Which was a little trickier since she hadn't dealt with such a deep cut before but she managed.

"Could be a distraction to make us think that it's not the real trail," Sakura told them. They both seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Let's continue," Isao said as he took off. Sakura and Kiba were both right behind him. "Stay alert," Isao told them. _We have a problem,_ Itachi told Sakura.

_What is it?_

_Their target isn't Shibi; it's Shino,_ Itachi told her.

_What?_ Sakura yelled. _We need to get to him._

_And how will you suddenly know this?_ Itachi asked her.

_How do you know this?_ Sakura countered.

_Akatsuki intelligence,_ he answered.

_What do they want Shino for?_

_Well, I could tell you that it is because he is the future leader of the Aburame clan and he would probably be easier to subdue than Shibi but that wouldn't be the reason,_ Itachi explained. Sakura tensed at the sound of his voice. He was...angry.

_Then what is the reason,_ Sakura asked, though she wasn't sure whether she would want to know the answer.

Itachi didn't respond right away. And that made Sakura nervous. What could be so bad that Itachi didn't feel comfortable saying? _It's a...misunderstanding_, Itachi finally answered.

_What do you mean,_ Sakura asked. She could practically see Itachi let out a sigh.

_A few years ago, in a neighboring village, there was an attack. Though no one was killed all of the crops and supplies were taken. Most of the villagers died of starvation. Some of the villagers had claimed to see swarms of small insects attack them and take their crops. Everyone believed that to be true._

_So they suspect the Aburame clan,_ Sakura answered for him.

_Yes,_ Itachi said. But there was something that he wasn't telling her.

_What really happened?_

_It was a raid,_ he began_, a sort of initiation. Akatsuki was low on supplies and I was trying to gain their trust. While I was able to convince them that leaving the villagers alive would be much easier, I had no way of leaving anything for them to survive on. I used the Sharingan to knock them all out. I didn't really think about what the genjutsu would show or lead them to believe._

_So what does Takeshi have to do with this?_

_He had been through the village on various occasions thanks to the missions he had. There he met and fell in love with one of the villagers. She died shortly after the raid,_ Itachi explained.

_But why wait so long?_ It had been years. If he had had suspicions over the Aburame clan he would have attacked them immediately, not waited around for so long. What was the benefit? _And why go through all the trouble to kidnap Shibi if their real target is Shino? Shouldn't they have just started with him instead?_

_I don't know,_ Itachi answered.

_Well, let's save that for later,_ Sakura thought as she looked at the two ninja in front of her. There was no way that she could convince them that they should go with Shino. _How do I get to Shino?_ Itachi didn't answer. This was a risky situation. One false move and they would become suspicious of her or Shino could be captured.

"The scent is getting stronger," Kiba said.

"Aburame-san," Sakura asked.

"Yeah," Kiba answered. Sakura bite her lower lip. Some of Naruto's traits must have rubbed off on her because there was no way that she would do this before. _Its risky, but it could work,_ Itachi told her.

_But I've never actually used mind control,_ Sakura mumbled.

_There is a first time for everything,_ Itachi told her. Sakura still wasn't sure of the plan. But there wasn't any more time to think of another one.

_Fine,_ Sakura mumbled. Sakura could sense them though it wasn't by much. They were still too far away. But she didn't have time. So she stretched her mind to try and slip into one of the kidnapper's minds. She couldn't do it. Sakura kept on trying to push through but all she got was a headache. She waited a little while, as they got closer. Sakura was then able to go into both men's minds. Though now she had even less time. They were resting and Sakura could see that they had tied up Aburame and leaned him against a tree while they rested.

Damn, Sakura mumbled. For this to work, Aburame had to be awake. So Sakura quickly went into his mind and woke him up. One of the ninja was surprised and opened his mouth to make a remark but Sakura quickly took control. "Do you think they have captured the Aburame brat?" Sakura made him ask.

Then she slipped into the other man's mind who had his back to them. "Probably, we made sure that he would take the right path," the man answered. Sakura made sure that they weren't paying attention to anything that was going on around them. They were almost there. Aburame just had to stay quiet until they reached them. Sakura felt a few beats of sweat on her forehead. It was hard being in the mind of two people at once.

"Their close," Kiba whispered.

"Get ready," Isao told them. "Sakura you go to Aburame-san. Kiba and me will handle the nin." Sakura nodded. She was to concentrated on making sure that they didn't hear or feel their approach to be mad at the fact that Isao had taken her out of the action. And then they were finally there. Sakura jumped down in front of Aburame looking towards the other two ninja. _Get out of-_

Kiba and Isao quickly slit their throats. And Sakura was plunged into darkness. She wanted to scream but she couldn't feel anything. She felt unbearable pain radiate through her. She felt cold and alone and there was a sense of finality that made her skin crawl. Sakura stared at the floor but suddenly her vision moved to Aburame as she checked him for injuries. But she had no control over her body. Sakura was lost. She was empty.

"Is he alright?" Isao asked beside her.

"Yes, but the ropes they had on him have taken almost all of his chakra," Sakura heard her voice respond. But she didn't care what was happening around her. Outside she might appear as if everything was fine. But inside she was trembling with fear and panic. She knew that as a shinobi that she would always face death. But never in her life had she imagined that she would see that side of death. Sakura had still been in both of the ninja's minds when they died. She felt them die. But it was more than that. It was so strong. As if she had died their death. Sakura remembered the utter darkness and numbness that she had felt once their heart stopped beating and she shivered. _Sakura you need to get a hold of yourself,_ Itachi warned her. Sakura paid him no mind. She was too far into despair to hear him.

Then her mind was assaulted with memories of her time in Team 7. She saw many images of Sasuke as a child. He would be smiling and laughing. And then she would see Sasuke from her memories. When he first got the curse mark. His fight with Gaara. The few times he would smile. _This is what you_ _need to think about,_ Itachi's voice resounded in her head._ You need to pull yourself together for him._

The numbness started to fade but the grief and despair didn't. "We need to hurry. I was just a decoy. They are after Shino," Aburame said as he stood. Sakura's body moved of it's own accord but she was more aware of her surroundings now._ Sakura,_ Itachi pleaded with her. She closed her eyes for a moment. She herself thought of Sasuke and Naruto. She fingered the charms on her necklace. Then she slowly opened her eyes.

"We have to hurry," Isao said. Then the three of them were off and Sakura quickly followed. She pushed all emotions and memories about what had just happened out of her mind for the moment. _That's it,_ Itachi told her.

_Thanks,_ Sakura thought.

_No problem,_ Itachi told her.

"Why would they kidnap you if they were really after Shino," Isao asked Aburame as they quickly moved towards Shino and the others. Sakura didn't need to ask herself that anymore. She hadn't wasted her time while inside the ninjas' minds. She had looked through them in order to find out why they had this weird plan. And she didn't like the answer. Takeshi had wanted Aburame to see his son's death. So not only would he be killing the next leader of the Aburame clan but he would also be dealing a big blow to the current leader.

"I have no idea," Aburame said. Sakura sensed the team ahead of them and she stiffened. She didn't like the low chakra that she was feeling.

"We're almost there," Kiba announced. All of them increased their pace. Up ahead was a clearing. Sakura braced herself for what might be there. But as they entered the small clearing she was sure that none of them had expected this.


	19. Team 8 vs Rogue Ninja

Chapter 18 Team 8 vs. Rogue Ninjas

Shino was...nervous. He had never really felt nervous before. Sure, he had been a little more than anxious when he was almost killed a few months ago. But that was a ninja's duty. He would have to face death sooner or later. And yet he was nervous now. But who wouldn't be if their father had just been kidnapped? All the same, Shino didn't like the feeling. He wanted to stay calm and focused but he just couldn't help the panic that always arouse when he thought about what would happen if they couldn't rescue his father. So, Shino opted to not think about it at all. It was easier. If he stayed calm, then there would be no reason to panic because they would find his father. And that was what mattered.

Various insects kept on going ahead of him trying to find a trace of his father's insects. So far they had found nothing. Which must have meant that Aburame was probably unconscious at the moment. It was too easy to leave a trail of insects behind or some other measure with which to find an Aburame for his father not to have tried any of them.

And then Shino realized that he wasn't just nervous because his father had been kidnapped. He was on edge because this felt like a trap. But both teams had already expected this. They both knew that one of the trails would lead them to Aburame and another into an ambush or a dead end. So they were prepared if this ended up being an ambush. But that wasn't what made Shino nervous. He couldn't explain what exactly he was feeling. It was as if he had a bad premonition about this. And that was odd because Shino didn't believe in that type of thing. Ghost, spirits, people who could see the future. It was all ridiculous. So why was he now feeling this.

"Still nothing?" Kurenai asked Hinata.

"No," the girl answered. She was using her Byakugan to be able to detect any sign of an enemy. But Kurenai knew that it was pointless to ask. Hinata would notify them immediately if she were to sense something. She had asked solely to break the silence. It was driving her mad. Other than their feet jumping off of branches the forest was completely quiet. And that just made Kurenai more on edge. They were falling into a trap. They all knew that. But the silence was just too much. There was too much tension in the air. And she could practically see Shino's anger. Maybe it hadn't been the wisest chose for them to come. But it was to late to turn back now.

"Wait," Hinata suddenly said. They all came to a stop and looked at her.

"Are they there?" Kurenai asked.

"No," Hinata said a little confused. "It's as if there were a wall up ahead that is blocking my Byakugan. I can't see anything."

"It's them," Shino said as he looked ahead. Kurenai noticed his insects disperse throughout the forest.

"Then let's go," Kurenai said after a while. They wouldn't have any luck in waiting for them to make the first move. And it wasn't like they could make some sort of plan or something like that. Her two students nodded and they all moved forward. "There is a clearing up ahead. That's probably where they will be," Kurenai informed her team.

All three shinobi entered the clearing and gazed speechless at what awaited them. Above, in front, to the right and left. They were surrounded by ninja. And then three stood before them. "I've been waiting for you, Aburame Shino," the man in the middle spoke.

"Where's my father?" Shino asked.

"Your father is fine," he answered. "The other part of your team should be getting to him soon." Shino seemed to relax just the slightest bit. "But I never really wanted your father."

"Then what do you want, Takeshi," Kurenai asked in a cold voice.

"Revenge," Takeshi answered. Then with a flick of his wrist the ninjas attacked. There was easily more than thirty ninja there though they didn't seem to be more than genin and chunin leveled ninja. But their numbers were to much for them. Shino had an easy enough time at first since his insects could keep him protected and take down many opponents. But soon they started to break through his defenses.

Hinata was having the most trouble. Though she wished it wasn't true, her abilities weren't as great as Neji's and she had trouble dealing with so many opponents. And while having to keep an eye out for any long range attacks from the other ninja. Kurenai was using her genjutsu abilities to be able to confuse her opponents and easily take them out when she could instead of having to deal with everyone that came her way.

And then the paper bombs started to go off. These bombs were different from the ones that Konoha used. These bombs didn't do much damage but they were much louder than the other bombs. This left the ninja disoriented and with a lot of dust in their way to make their sight worse. Hinata was thrown to the ground by one of her opponents when another bomb went off near her.

In Kurenai's battle, one of the members who had been standing next to Takeshi attacked her from behind as yet another paper bomb was activated somewhere else on the field. Shino noticed that both his teammate as his sensei were having difficulty keeping their opponents at bay. And it seemed like his opponents would soon over power him as well. But Shino was a few steps ahead of them. Shino directed some of his chakra towards the ground. Instantly, insects jumped up from the ground and attacked any ninja that was close by. This move removed all of the opponents Hinata had been attacking at the moment and it saved Kurenai from having a kunai in her right shoulder.

This was all the opening they needed. The fight went in their favor from then on. They were able to defeat almost all of the ninja around them. But then the other shinobi that had been standing next to Takeshi attacked Kurenai. It didn't take the two shinobi long to manage to stab Kurenai with a katana. "Kurenai-sensei," Hinata screamed when she saw her sensei on the floor bleeding. In an instance Hinata was stabbed from behind with the same katana.

"Hinata!" Shino yelled. He looked between both his fallen sensei and teammate. Then the two shinobi turned their attention to him. Shino and his insects were ready for an attack.

* * *

><p>Sakura felt her knees want to buckle but she managed to stay on her feet. "Hinata! Shino! Kurenai-sensei!" Kiba screamed as he rushed to Hinata who was closest of the three. Kurenai and Hinata were on the floor bleeding. But Shino wasn't in any better condition. Though he was still standing he was bleeding so much that a pool of blood formed under his feet. It seemed like he was in the middle of a fight. A body that was covered with insects next to him. And there was another shinobi in front of him that was also severely injured but not as much as Shino seemed to be. Many more bodies lay scattered across the clearing.<p>

Sakura slipped into both Hinata's mind and Kurenai's. Kurenai was the one in worst condition. She wouldn't last much longer if her wound wasn't healed soon. Hinata's injury could wait. Sakura rushed over to Kurenai but before she could reach her a kunai shot up in front of her. She had enough time to stop before the kunai would be in her head. She looked to her left to see the attacker and saw Takeshi. Sakura reached for a kunai but Isao suddenly appeared in front of her. "Go," he said, "a medic nin shouldn't look for trouble." Sakura didn't hesitate to do as he said.

"Keep pressure on her wound, Kiba," Sakura screamed over her shoulder. When she glanced behind her to check if he had heard her, she saw Aburame there instead. She didn't need to look for Kiba to know where he was. Sakura needed to focus on Kurenai. Sakura's heart was beating frantically and her hands shook as she knelled down next to Kurenai. _Have to be calm,_ Sakura told herself. She looked for the wound and had a slight need to puke. Kurenai had a big hole that was bleeding greatly. She hadn't had to deal with something so serious before. But she needed to heal her.

Sakura focused her chakra on her hands and then placed them on the wound on Kurenai's chest. She had to reconstruct all of the arteries so that the bleeding would stop. Then she would need to rebuild the tissue and kill any bacteria. A scream pulled Sakura's attention to Kiba and Shino's fight. Kiba was on the floor and clutching his side. Akamaru was a few paces behind him. And he didn't seem to be moving. The rogue ninja went to attack Kiba. A groan escaped Kurenai's lips. Sakura looked down and saw that she was pressing her hands on her open wound. She had been so focused on the fight that she hadn't realized that she had lowered her hands.

The arteries were closed so no more blood was seeping through the wound. She needed to hurry. Hinata would be in critical condition soon. And then Shino and Kiba seemed to need help as well. An explosion behind her caused a lot of dirt and sand to whoosh past her. Sakura did her best to cover Kurenai's wound from all of the dust. This time Sakura didn't bother to look at the fighting. Making sure no foreign cells had entered Kurenai's body took her a little too much time since she had never had any practice with that. Once that was done, it only took her two more minutes for her to close the injury. Kurenai started to open her eyes and tried to sit up. "Take it easy Kurenai-sensei," Sakura told her. "I have to go and heal Hinata. Are you going to be okay?" Kurenai still seemed a little out of it but she nodded.

More bombs went of as Sakura rushed over to Aburame and Hinata. Sakura had a some what easier time with Hinata. Her wound was very similar to Kurenai's so it wasn't all new to her. She was able to close the arteries and check for bacteria a lot faster than with Kurenai. Though with all the bombs going off in all directions she had to clean the wound several times.

While Sakura worked on Hinata, Isao was having difficulty dealing with Takeshi. The rogue nin was really skilled with his fire techniques. Not to mention his taijutsu was great as well. And Isao was already a bit tired from the earlier fight he had had. Takeshi obviously had the upper hand in this fight. Isao dodged his punches and his fire attacks but it was only a matter of time until Takeshi got an attack in. Then Takeshi stopped and Isao didn't hesitate to land a punch on the guys face. The punch sent Takeshi flying into the a tree. "Need a little help," Kurenai asked as she stepped up beside him.

"Sure," Isao answered as they watched Takeshi get up from the floor. "How's the wound?"

"Fine," Kurenai answered. "That girl is going to be a great healer." No more words were exchanged as Takeshi formed hand seals. "Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!" Both Isao and Kurenai were able to dodge the attack. Takeshi appeared behind Isao and punched him before he had time to react. Kurenai tried to use another genjutsu to distract him but he was able to attack her before she finished the seals. Kurenai kept moving so Takeshi didn't have the chance to land a punch on her.

"Quit dodging," Takeshi said. Then he was able to stab Kurenai with a kunai. But he realized a second to late that he had been trapped in a genjutsu. Before he could react Isao had plunged a kunai through his heart.

"Didn't expect anything less from you," Isao told her. "You really are as good as they say with genjutsu." Kurenai opened her mouth but someone else interrupted her.

"SHINO!" The scream tore everyone's attention to the two genin's battle. Kiba was lying on the floor badly wounded and Shino was standing in front of him with a katana in his chest.

* * *

><p>Kiba saw Sakura rush over to Kurenai and then moved his attention to Shino. It didn't look like he would be able to last much longer. "Go." Kiba looked up and saw Aburame next to him. He didn't saw anything else and took of to help Shino.<p>

"Keep pressure on her wound, Kiba," he heard Sakura scream but he knew that Aburame would do as she said. Kiba tried to punch the guy from behind but he must have sensed him cause he quickly moved out of the way and grabbed Kiba's extended arm and slammed him on the floor. Shino's insects tried to attach to the rogue shinobi but he was to fast and disappeared before they landed on him. Kiba smelled him before he saw him and turned around to land a punch on the nin.

They kept exchanging punches for a while until the ninja seemed to remember something and he disappeared again. "Damn it," Kiba mumbled. He had been hoping to distract the guy long enough so Shino could get enough insects on him but the guy was just to quick. Kiba gave Akamaru a soldier pill. "Fang Wolf Fang!" They moved towards the ninja's hiding spot but he just kept moving away from them. Kiba and Akamaru both tried attacking him at once but he was just to fast. Whenever they tried to lead him to where Shino's bugs were he would teleport to another place.

"Fire Release: Running Fire!" Kiba suddenly saw a giant ring of fire come his way. Sadly, he wasn't fast enough to move out of the way and the attack grazed his side. He also didn't see the ninja come up to him and punch him at the spot that he had been attacked. Then he disappeared and Kiba heard a whimper.

"Akamaru," Kiba groaned out. Akamaru was on the floor a few feet away from him. Then he saw insects all around try and capture the rogue ninja. He moved too quickly for the bugs to catch up to him but they still followed. Kiba tried to get up but it caused him a lot of pain. Then another series of bombs went off. Kiba choked on all the dust and debris that had been caused by the attack. His eyesight wasn't recovered yet but he smelled the attacker behind him. Kiba quickly moved away but his opponent was faster. He managed to land another punch on his injured side and another to his face. He felt blood drip down his mouth and chin.

Once the dust was finally clear, Kiba weakly tried to punch the ninja but he was to fast for the disoriented Inuzuka. The rogue pushed him and Kiba was forced to take a few steps back. Then he vaguely saw something silver glitter above his head before he felt someone else push him back. Kiba fell to the floor. He sat up and felt blood spatter his face. Then he saw Shino standing in front of him. He had a katana through his chest and blood was seeping through the edges of the sword. "SHINO!"

The scream left his lips before he realized what he was doing. He couldn't believe that Shino had pushed him out of the way to save him. Rage and guilt flooded through his body. "Trying to save your friend, eh?" the rogue ninja taunted him. Kiba tried to stand up but the sharp pain at his side made it too difficult. Then he heard the man's body fall to the floor. He saw more blood come out of the body on the floor then it seemed to get darker. Kiba looked up and saw that Shino was falling back onto him. He put his hands out and caught his friend.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Kiba asked his friend though it was obvious that he was unconscious. He heard hurried footsteps behind him. Then calm and steady hands moved Shino to the floor and grabbed on to the katana that was buried in Shino's chest. He heard Sakura take a deep breath and then yanked the katana out of his chest. Instantly Sakura put her hands to Shino's chest. Her hands were glowing green. Kiba looked up from the deep wound to Sakura. She had her eyebrows furrowed and her eyes were shining with determination. "Is he going to be alright?" Kiba barely recognized his own voice. It was hoarse and cracked at times. Definitely wasn't his voice.

Sakura moved her eyes up to his and locked eyes with him. "I'll do everything I can to make sure that he is," Sakura said. Kiba was surprised by how different Sakura's voice sounded. She was strong and sure. She definitely wasn't the girl that she had been when Naruto and Sasuke were in the village. It wasn't that he just didn't know her then, it was that she had changed.

Sakura kept pulsing chakra into the wound. This one was even more severe than Kurenai's had been. Though it had missed the heart, it had hit a major artery which was the reason that there was so much blood. She wished that there was another medic nin that could either take over for her or heal the other wounds he had. He was losing a lot of blood. Sakura had barely finished binding the exit wound when she knew that she wouldn't have enough time to heal the major artery, close the wound, and then heal all his other injuries.

"Hinata," Sakura called out.

"Yes," the girl answered next to Kiba.

"Shizune has taught you some things about healing right," Sakura asked the girl.

"Yeah," Hinata answered, though she seemed worried.

"I need you to try and stop the bleeding from his other wounds," Skaura answered. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hinata hesitate but then she was looking for anymore wounds. "Just focus your chakra on the wounds and reconstruct the arteries so he will stop bleeding. I'll close the wounds once I'm done," Sakura explained. Hinata nodded and put her hands on top of the second biggest wound on the side of Shino's stomach. Sakura slipped into the girl's mind and gave her a little more information and confidence. That was all she could do. It might have been the third time she healed a similar wound that day but she still had to have her full attention on the wound in order to heal properly. Not to mention the stress and chakra strain she was already feeling. She was trying to rebuild the artery as fast as possible but it was still taking her too long.

So she made a decision. Sakura would just clot the bleeding on all the wounds so that he would at least stop bleeding. Then they would have to rush back to Konoha cause Shino was most definitely going to need a blood transfusion. "One of you go ahead and tell the hospital that we are going to need a blood transfusion of AB and get medics to await for use at the gates," Sakura said. She was even surprised by her calm voice.

"I'll go," Isao answered just like Sakura knew he would. He was the fastest one in the team.

Sakura looked up at Hinata and was glad to see that she had moved on to another wound. Sakura quickly clotted the blood and moved on to his next wound as well. It took the two girls five more minutes before they got all the bleeding to stop. But that didn't mean that Shino would make it through. "Kurenai go ahead of us and take Shino with you," Sakura told her. She helped position Shino on his sensei's back and in a flash they were gone. Kiba was about to follow them but she stopped him. "I need to heal your injuries too." She looked at Hinata and Aburame and nodded at them. They were gone in a flash.

Kiba looked at Sakura as if he was going to argue but instead just sat down on the floor again. "Check on Akamaru first," he told her. Sakura didn't bother to argue with him. She quickly walked over to the pup. She didn't know much about the anatomy of a dog but she would just make sure that he would stay alive until they reached the village. She checked his pulse and wasn't sure if it was normal or not. Did a dog have the same heart rate as a human? Faster? Slower? Sakura looked him over for any injuries but she couldn't find any. She picked up the pup gently and then walked back to Kiba.

"I'm sorry but I don't know much about dogs," Sakura explained as he placed the little guy next to Kiba. "But I'm sure he doesn't have any serious injuries." Sakura could only hope that she was right.

"It's alright," Kiba told her as he patted the dog softly.

"Take of your jacket," Sakura ordered him. Kiba stared up at her but when he saw that she was serious he did as he was told. Though he hesitated a little. It took Sakura a few moments before she realized why Kiba had hesitated. A light blush covered her face but her eyes widened when she saw his injury. His stomach was bruised and the flesh was burnt. Sakura had never had to deal with burns. She placed her hands on the burnt flesh and concentrated her chakra on his wound. First she made sure that all the organs and arteries weren't damaged. She then started to speed up the process of the tissue replacing the burnt part. After a few minutes of getting very little progress Sakura let out a deep sigh.

"Don't worry about it," Kiba told her. "The village isn't that far."

"Sorry," Sakura told him. "Let me at least heal the other bruises." It took her around ten minutes to finish healing all of his minor injuries. Thanks to her low chakra she healed those wounds a lot slower than normal.

"Thanks," Kiba said as he stood up. He tried to mask the pain that he felt from his major injury but Sakura could tell. Though she was grateful that he tried to make her feel better. He picked up Akamaru had put him in his jacket. "Let's go." Sakura nodded. And they both made their way to the village.

**Please Review!**


	20. A Visit To Anbu Headquarters

Chapter 20 A Visit To Anbu Headquarters

Song: Never Underestimate a Girl

Sakura let out a heavy sigh which quickly turned into a yawn. She was tired and aching to get some sleep. But she couldn't. They had opened another one of the P.F. buildings and Sakura was still having a bit of trouble reorganizing everyone. The Hokage had suggested to keep different clans away from one another but Sakura was going to do no such thing. It would be good if the clans were able to interact a little more. After all, it wasn't like the shinobi teams assigned kept clans away from one another. If a problem arose then Sakura would take care of it one way or another. So that's why she was in the P.F. building at 7 at night working at one of the empty desks.

"Do you need any help with that?"Sakura looked up from the stack of papers that she had on the desk at Isao. Sakura had already made up her mind about leaving Isao in charged once her temporary leadership was taken. And that would be when they got the third and last of the P.F. buildings restored. And painters had just finished it today.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Sakura told him. Even though it was late at night, most of the members were still there. Sakura internally groaned as she remembered why everyone was still there. A civilian had committed arson and burned down a big chunk of buildings in the western side. And everyone was either working on finding the culprit or on the recent thefts at stores across Konoha. She still had to sort out so much paperwork on that.

"You give me absolutely no want for the third building to be up and running," Isao taunted her. Sakura gave him a wry smile.

"Sorry, but you'll just have to focus on this unlike me," Sakura told him. Itachi had been right on the dot with how her schedule would be. And she now understood why he hadn't factored in sleep. She slept only a few hours a day and that was at random intervals that changed each day. And all three of her training sessions had been brutal today and she knew that Itachi wasn't going to go easy on her just because of that. But Sakura didn't mind all the work. She actually enjoyed all the responsibilities. To some extent.

_It takes a girl to understand_  
><em>Just how to win<em>  
><em>She knows, she can<em>

"Well, you need to train since the chunin exams are coming up in a little over a month," Isao told her.

"Thanks for the reminder," Sakura mumbled.

"Hey, you were great in the last mission. I'm sure you'll become a chunin this time." Yeah, their last mission had been a complete success. Shino had almost died that time. It had been a little more than two weeks since they came back from that mission. Shino had not liked having to stay in the hospital for a couple of days but he wasn't as bad as Kiba would have been if it had been him. Sakura felt a little better when she remembered how impressed Shizune had been with her ability to heal them. Tsunade had tried to hide her surprise but Sakura could tell that she felt the same way.

"I hope your right," Sakura said. If they were lucky, they would all become chunin.

"Oh, hey," Isao said as he remembered something. He grabbed the closest chair and sat down next to Sakura's desk. 'Your not coming in tomorrow?"

"Nope," Sakura answered. "It's my friend's birthday and she would kill me if I didn't go to her party." Sakura finished assembling another team and put the file on one of the piles. The smaller one.

"Well, you deserve a break," Isao said as he leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head. Sakura studied him for a while.

"Are you done with all your paperwork?"

Isao obviously tensed. "It'll be done by the time you ask for it," he answered.

"And if I would ask for it now," Sakura challenged.

"Then I'd be screwed," he calmly answered with a big grin on his face. That was one of the things Sakura loved about Isao. He could be serious when needed to but also just funny and laid back. Sakura roller her eyes at him and focused on her paperwork. Isao just kept sitting there whistling. After a few minutes, Sakura caved.

"Alright," Sakura said as she put her pen down. "Finish assembling the rest of the teams and I'll go and see how everything else is coming along." Isao jumped up from his chair and took the empty seat Sakura left. Again she rolled her eyes but went around to the other desks. She was more than glad to see that everyone else was actually dong their job. When she ran out of people to inspect, Sakura entered the first meeting room. Sakura was surprised to find everyone was about to leave. "Any leads?" Sakura asked Katsumi.

"Yeah," he answered once everyone was out of the meeting room. Sakura followed as he also left. "We think that it maybe one of the civilians. Masao and me are going to go pick him up. We shouldn't be more than fifteen minutes. We'll also handle the interrogation so I told the others that they could go home if they don't have anything else to do."

"Good," Sakura said. "Don't spent too much time with him tonight though. If he doesn't start talking maybe a night in jail will soften him up." Katsumi smirked and nodded. Then he went of to find Masao. Sakura watched him leave then she walked over to the other meeting room. This one was a bit more lively. All of the members were standing and arguing with each other. They hadn't even noticed her enter. "Hey!" Sakura screamed and everyone turned to her. "It never got this bad in the academy," Sakura chastised them.

_I think it's clear_  
><em>Who wears the pants<em>  
><em>What boy could stand a chance<em>

"Sorry, Sakura-san," Masaki apologized. Masaki was a tall brown haired brown eyed jonin that had been on the original P.F. "But all of us are pretty uneasy because of the Anbu visit."

"What Anbu visit?" Sakura did not like not being notified of these sorts of things.

"We hadn't really left the room since they came so no one else has found out about it," Masaki explained. "They are pressuring us to find the culprit of the arson. And they want us responsible to pay for the rebuilding."

"But why? The P.F. had nothing to do with the arson," Sakura said very angry. Anbu had been a problem ever since she had pissed one of them off during Aburame's capture.

"That's what we told them but they just called us incompetent and said that they would be going to the Hokage to ask that the P.F. be shut down and the money invested in better resources," Nanami, a beautiful blond, answered. Sakura let out a frustrated sigh. She would have to go and pay a visit tomorrow.

"Please tell me we have made some progress," Sakura asked. Everyone was pretty quiet. Not good. "Alright," Sakura said after a little while. She really didn't like how they were squirming around all nervous. "Why don't you all go home for tonight. Maybe some time off of the case will give you guys a little more insight." All of the members didn't seem to think that was to good of an idea. "Go on. Before you all rip each others heads of." There were a few chuckles and then everyone got up to leave. Sakura left the room once she was sure that they were leaving.

Isao was still on his desk and he had made a lot of improvement on the team assignments. "Your really good at this," Sakura told him as she sat down on the seat he had been in before.

"Thanks," Isao said still looking at the files. Sakura looked over at the clock. It was 7:45 now. Someone came up to her and handed her a mission report. She put it in her backpack to read once she got home.

"I'm going to go and check the other building and then head home," Sakura said as she started to gather her stuff.

"Cool, I just have a few more of these to finish," Isao told her.

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't mom," Isao teased. Sakura roller her eyes at his antics.

"Night."

"Night. Have fun at your party tomorrow," he called out to her. Sakura shook her head. She would probably fall asleep at the party for all she knew.

* * *

><p>Thankfully for Sakura, the other P.F. building was running smoothly. Though she was very upset to hear that Anbu had also made a visit there. Now Sakura was at her apartment getting ready for a long night of studying. Sakura always made sure to have books about almost anything at her house in order to study while she had dinner. Though dinner was usually some instant ramen for her.<p>

Sakura put some water in the kettle and then set it on the stove. She picked up the book that she had been reading and sat at her small table. This book was on the Hyuga clan. Sakura had always loved to learn new things and now that habit had become very helpful. She couldn't believe all of the different ways reading about the different clans actually helped her not only in healing them but in interacting with them and understanding them. Sakura looked down and read where she had left off.

_The Byakugan allows the user to have almost 360 degree vision. It enables the user to see through solid objects and have telescopic vision. Though the distance of the vision is firmly based on the abilities of the user. The last ability of the Byakugan is the ability to see chakra flow within the human body. This ability enables them to use one of their most common techniques:Gentle Fist. They are able to hit precise points that will impede the use of chakra._

The kettle started to signal that the water was ready. Sakura got up from her seat and prepared her ramen. She went back to reading and waited for her ramen to be ready. Once it was, Sakura ate slowly. She was in no rush to have to go to the clearing and train with Itachi. Not that she minded it all that much. Sakura looked up from the book and started to think of all the different things that had happened since her mission with Team 8 and Isao.

A shudder ran down Sakura's spine. That mission had been hard for her in so many ways. She had experienced death on a whole new level. With her mind control and help from Itachi, Sakura had been able to keep her cool until she was finally able to return to her apartment that night. She had then let all of the memories and emotions flood her mind again. And then she had run to the bathroom and puked out everything that was in her stomach. While she was puking she had felt cool hands pull her hair out of the way. She hadn't been surprised that Itachi had shone up.

_She makes it look easy_  
><em>In control completely<em>

Sakura had then moved to her bed after brushing her teeth and just thought. She thought of how it had felt to die. It had been quick but still so big. There hadn't even been a chance for either of the men to feel any pain. At least not physical pain. But then the darkness came and it was unbearable to think about it. She had felt nothing. Her entire body was numb. Her brain hadn't been functioning. She was empty.

She had stayed up all night trying to deal with all of her emotions. She didn't want to just bottle them up and not think about it. She needed to come to terms with everything that she had felt. After a few hours she had come to a conclusion. All along death had been a scary and mysterious thing. But now she knew what it felt like. And yet it was still a scary and mysterious thing. One wouldn't be able to ever understand the entire concept of death. Scientifically there was a simple answer for death. The end of a life of a person or organism. That was the meaning of death. But Sakura now understood that one could never really define death. She had seen a glimpse of it. But not in it's entirety. So Sakura could only accept what she saw and felt as a part of death. And there was no point to dwell on the matter. Sakura needed to live her life to the fullest because at anytime she could personally experience death herself.

As Sakura stood up to put her dirty dishes in the sink, her charms clattered together. A small smile grazed her lips. Sakura thought back to a few days ago. Itachi had kept his promise and taken her to the caves where all the gemstones were instead of training. The first night she had just had a tour of the place and seen how one of the craftsman shaped one of the stones into a beautiful symbol of the Konoha leaf. The next night Itachi had left her with the craftsman. And she was grateful that he did. She really didn't need to have any of his comments interrupt her focus. It hadn't been as hard as she had thought it would be but it definitely wasn't easy either. Sakura had chosen a small piece of ruby to carve. The craftsman had been very nice and a great teacher.

Once she had carved it into the shape she wanted all she had to do was infuse her chakra into the charm. The next day she had found a necklace to place the charm in. She had kept it in her pocket until her training session with Kurenai had finished. Kiba and her would always walk together if she was heading to the second P.F. building since it was in the same direction as the Inuzuka compound. Before Kiba kept going towards the compound, Sakura had taken out the necklace and shown him the charm she had made. Sakura had carved the ruby into the two Inuzuka markings that Kiba had on both cheeks. She had also used some moonstone to outline them and bind the top edges together so they didn't separate.

At first Kiba had refused to take it saying that it must have been really expensive. Sakura had explained that a family friend worked in some mines outside of Konoha and he had taught her how to carve out the gemstones. It hadn't cost her a thing. Kiba seemed a little more at ease and took the necklace. She had told him to keep it on since it was supposed to protect it's owner. Kiba had scuffed at her insinuating that he needed protection but said he wouldn't take it off.

Sakura sighed as she finished washing her dish. Now all she needed to do was finish all the work she had for the P.F. and Sakura would be free to go to the clearing. It would probably take her around an hour to finish her work. Then she would train with Itachi until he decided that it was enough for that day or it was time for her to get ready to go and train with Tsunade. Usually it was the latter. It was 9:15. Sakura let out a heavy sigh as she got comfortable on the coach and looked through all of the files.

* * *

><p>Itachi had decided that it would do Sakura some good to just spar with him or Kisame. It had been a week since they stuck to just sparing and Sakura had already started to see the benefits of it. She was able to use everything that she learned during the day in her battles with Itachi. Though she usually stuck with genjutsu on Kisame instead of Itachi. With Itachi it was more of a waste of chakra than anything else. Sakura had also noticed that her taijutsu and reaction times had improved. Which was really helpful since she couldn't use any of the other jutsus she had learned whenever she went on missions. But she hadn't been sent on a mission since the incident with Shino's dad.<p>

Itachi on the other hand had sent her on two missions. One was to retrieve a few files from a daimyo's nephew that had been traveling close to Konoha. It was tough for her. She had almost gotten caught once. But she was able to retrieve the information Itachi had asked for. Sakura had felt a bit guilty but then decided not to think to much of it. The information she had gotten was simply about where the nephew kept his secret treasure.

The second mission had been a bit more physical. Sakura had been told to get a scroll that was inside a very rich man's house. She had to face of against his guards. Lucky for her the guards hadn't been very skilled ninja and she hadn't had a hard time getting rid of them.

So now Sakura was resting against a tree after another long night, and morning, of training. Itachi was at the river washing his face with some of the water. Sakura was lost in her thoughts when she heard Itachi start to cough. She looked over at him but it didn't seem to be to bad. He had been coughing a little more than was usual lately but not enough to make Sakura think that he was sick or anything. Itachi walked over to where she sat and started to tell her what was good and bad about their fight. Sakura took the criticism rather well and always tried to improve anything that Itachi had said she did wrong.

"So, Ino's birthday is today right?" Itachi said once they were done with their usual training.

"Yep," Sakura answered. This had also become routine. While Sakura was resting from their training Itachi and her would just talk about things.

"You finished her present right?"

"Of course," Sakura replied. "Ino would kill me if I didn't get her something for her birthday." Sakura shook her head at the thought that it had been the second time she accused Ino of wanting to kill her.

"Well, take tomorrow off. Just have fun at her party," Itachi told her.

"You sure?" Sakura asked not having expected that.

"Yeah, you deserve a little break," Itachi said. "And some sleep."

"I could really use that second one," Sakura said as she smiled at him. "If only my other sensei's were as nice as you."

Itachi chuckled a little. It always shocked Sakura when he would smile or laugh or make a joke. She couldn't help but feel like he was just a cold heartless bastard cause, honestly, Itachi had the whole bad boy type appearance. "You should probably go and shower," Itachi told her, sniffing in her direction. Sakura lightly punched him but got to her feet. The sun still hadn't risen but the sky was already turning a little lighter.

"I'll see you tonight then," Sakura asked as she left for the edge of the clearing. Itachi nodded and it seemed like he was getting ready to fall asleep.

Sakura made her way to her apartment quickly and without being noticed. Once there, she took a quick shower. Her training with Itachi hadn't been that bad. He had focused a little more on genjutsu today then her taijutsu so Sakura wasn't terribly tired. Her body had gotten used to the three or four training sessions a day and very little sleep. Though that would probably change once she was no longer in charge of the P.F. That fact always made Sakura a bit sad. She liked being busy and being in charge and respected. Not to mention she had actually become good friends with everyone there. Now she wouldn't see most of the people there.

Sakura got dressed in her normal training attire and brushed her hair in front of the mirror. She wasn't a hundred percent sure yet but she would probably cut her hair once it got too long. She just liked it better short. Sakura ate a quick breakfast and then was out the door. By the time she was almost at the Hokage building the sun had risen and many people were out and about.

_She got the lipstick _  
><em>Puts it together<em>

Sakura went into the office and went straight to the file rooms. After a bit of snooping around Sakura found the information she wanted. Sakura then made her way out of the building. She would have to hurry in order to be on time with her training session with Tsunade. "Sakura," Kakashi said a little surprised as he bumped into his old student. He hadn't seen her in a very long time.

"Kakashi-sensei, I was looking for you," Sakura told him. She was happy to see that he hadn't changed a bit, still had his nose in his book.

"Oh," Kakashi asked a little intrigued.

"I need to ask you a favor," she said.

"And what would that be?"

"Mind accompanying me to the Anbu building," she asked. Kakashi furrowed his brow and she could tell that he was frowning.

"And why would you want to go there," Kakashi asked. He knew that she was the temporary leader for the P.F. but he never thought she would actually go into the Anbu headquarters.

"You'll find out if you come with me," Sakura said. She gave him a sweet smile and Kakashi just sighed.

"Let's go then," he said as he started walking over to the Hokage monument. Sakura didn't even bother hiding the triumphant grin on her face.

_Boys have it good_  
><em>But girls have it better<em>

It didn't take them long to walk the stairs to the top of the Hokage monument. Kakashi stopped in front of a building near the back of the mountain. He put his book in the hip pouch he had and looked over at Sakura. "You sure you want to do this?" he asked. The girl nodded and Kakashi eyed the file she had in her hand. Maybe she was just delivering a message for the Hokage and he was worrying about this for nothing.

Kakashi went through the door first and was very disappointed to see that the place was almost full. He had been hoping that not to many of them had been here since it was still pretty early in the morning. No one paid him to much attention until they saw the small pink haired genin behind him. All eyes were on them. One of the Anbu stepped towards them. "Need something?" he asked Kakashi.

Before Kakashi could answer Sakura held up a picture that had been in the file she was carrying. "Is he here?" Sakura asked though she didn't look at him but searched the crowd for the man.

"Yeah," the Anbu member said as he pointed to the back of the room. Sakura followed his finger and then saw him whispering with someone she knew. It was the Anbu leader who had wanted to take over the Aburame case two weeks ago. Sakura put the picture back in the file as she walked over to the two men. They stopped talking when they noticed her making her way over to them and Sakura had to keep her face tranquil.

"Lost little girl?" The Anbu leader asked her but Sakura ignored him and looked at the man next to him.

"I heard that you stopped by both P.F. buildings yesterday," Sakura told the man. If she couldn't feel his emotions she wouldn't have noticed that he was the slightest bit surprised.

_She makes it look easy_  
><em>In control completely<em>

"I was," he answered, no emotion in his voice. But Sakura could feel his suspicion.

"I also heard you threatened my officers and called them...oh what was the word? Incompetent?" Sakura gave of the air of someone who had a right to be pissed and able to hold her ground with an Anbu. Though she knew she wasn't. The man kept quiet though Sakura felt his shock and anger. He felt she had no right to be there accusing him of anything. "Oh and that reminds," Sakura said. "I have a complaint about Konoha's security. You see, there have been three incidents where enemies have breached our village. Two of those times it involved S-ranked missing nin. And one lead to almost a complete annihilation of a clan. I must be so forgetful lately cause I can't remember who is in charge of Konoha's security so I don't know who to talk to," Sakura said as she seemed really annoyed with the fact.

It seemed like not even all of their training could keep their anger at bay all the time. She could feel everyone in the office sending her death glares. "You have no right to come in here and accuse us of-"

_She'll get the best of you_  
><em>Every single time<em>

"No," Sakura said interrupting the Anbu leader, "he had no right to come into my buildings and belittle my people when we haven't had such extreme reasons to put in question our abilities." Sakura yelled at the two men.

"And what do you say of the robberies-"

"We detained the culprit yesterday night," Sakura told them.

"And the arson?" the other man asked.

"Following up on our leads," Sakura said. Once she saw that the men were about to criticize her she stopped them. "What about capturing Itachi? Or Orochimaru?" she asked as she looked around the room. "Any progress on that?" Everything was quiet.

_Never underestimate a girl_  
><em>Gets anything she wants<em>  
><em>She's never gonna stop<em>

"Get out," the Anbu member told her.

"I will," Sakura said as she stepped closer to the Anbu. "But if I hear that you are intimidating my officers again, I will-"

"You'll what kill me?" he asked mockingly. Sakura let a sly smile play out on her lips.

_Never underestimate a girl_  
><em>She's always got a plan<em>  
><em>The world is in her hands<em>

"No, I'm not capable of killing you," Sakura said as she got on her tip-toes and whispered something in his ear. Or she pretended to whisper something. She just told him in his mind what she wanted to say rather than let others over hear. This time the Anbu visibly stiffened. Sakura pulled away from him and gave him a smile. "And I would really appreciate it if you were to tell your fellow members to stay out of the P.F.'s business." Sakura turned around to leave but a strong hand on her arm yanked her back to face the Anbu again. Sakura felt Kakashi next to her but the Anbu hadn't looked up at him. Sakura glared at him and slipped into his mind. She gave him a memory of what death had felt like. It wasn't nearly as strong as what it really felt like but it did make the man tremble in fear. Sakura yanked her arm away and leaned into the Anbu member who was looking at her with wide eyes. "Touch me again and I will show you that my threats are real," Sakura whispered. Then she quickly made her way out of the building. She didn't stop walking until she was at the head of the stairs.

_Don't try to win the game_  
><em>Your only gonna lose<em>

Her heart was beating frantically. She couldn't believe what she had just done. They could kill her and make it seem like an accident. And yet she had gone in there and insulted all of them and then threatened one of them. Kakashi appeared beside her then. She looked up at him but he had his eyes on his book again. "That was...interesting," he said before making his way down the building again. Sakura stared at his back for a few seconds. Interesting? She might have just signed her death sentence. Then Sakura chuckled. Leave it to Kakashi to belittle an death-defying move.

**Please Review! Next time it will be Ino's birthday party!**


	21. A Birthday Party and A Fight

Chapter 21 Birthday Party and A Fight

Song: Let go by Vanessa Hudgens

Sakura opened the door to her apartment and dragged herself in. She was dead tired and wasn't sure she would actually be able to make it to Ino's party. Tsunade had sparred with her today. But it was more like Sakura trying not to get hit by any of her chakra enhanced punches. So much for her taijutsu improving. She had spent all morning there and then had a shift at the hospital. Why did it always seem like the hospital was always busy? Couldn't people just not get sick or hurt for one day? Apparently not because the hospital had been full today. Allergies thanks to the change in weather.

_The day's been long_  
><em>I just got home<em>  
><em>And work is driving me crazy<em>

Sakura put her stuff on the coach and headed to her room. Ino had told her that it wouldn't be a huge party but that she didn't expect Sakura to dress up, at least a little. That was a hard thing to accomplish since her wardrobe didn't really consist of any clothes that weren't just plain solid colored T-shirts. Sakura looked through her drawers and closet trying to find something she could manage to make look presentable. She might just have to run to a clothe store...

_I could do up_  
><em>I could go out<em>  
><em>But I'm feeling to lazy<em>

Sakura then started putting random outfits together on her bed in order to see if she could come up with anything. After about half an hour of pairing and matching Sakura finally created an outfit that she was happy with. She would wear white capri pants with a red belt. And a red tank top with a navy blue jacket she had bought a few days ago. Sakura went to take a quick shower cause it was almost time to head to the party.

Once Sakura was dressed in her clothes she brushed her hair and put it in a high ponytail letting her bangs fall on her face. Sakura then went to go and wrap the present that she had made for Ino. Sakura had decided to use a light blue quartz for Ino's charm. It had been a lot harder to make Ino's charm. She had decided to carve it into an aster flower. But that had been a lot more work than she had bargained for. Sakura had had to make every individual petal and then attach them onto another circular piece of quartz in the middle. Sakura had wanted it to be small so it just made it more difficult to not mess up on the petals. Sakura had put the charm on a very thin silver necklace. If Ino didn't like it she would have all hell to pay.

And since Sakura had had a bit of time on her hands when she went to the caves she had decided to make Shikamaru one too. It had been his birthday yesterday so the celebration was kinda for the two of them. She had carved out the Nara Clan's symbol out of sapphire. It had taken her a lot less time to make that one. Now all she had to do was but them in the bags and add tissue paper.

Sakura really hoped that today would go by smoothly. She hadn't had much time to just hang out with all of them in a really long time. She would see most of them around the village and she trained with Ino and Choji. And she saw Team 8 whenever she trained with Kurenai. She had seen very little of Neji and his team. But they were supposed to be there too. Along with some of the parents. But all Sakura had to focus on was having a good time.

_All I wanna do is_  
><em>Go and kick it with my crew tonight<em>

There was loud banging on her door and Sakura internally groaned. "Come in," Sakura screamed down the hall. Though she knew that Kiba would hear with his heightened senses. Sakura heard the door open and close. Small paws came running down the hallway and then jumped up on her bed.

"Please tell me your ready?"

"I am," Sakura said as she finished arraigning her gifts. She scratched Akamaru's head and then looked up at Kiba. She had to do everything with in her power not to let her jaw drop to the floor. Kiba had on some old jeans and a red shirt with a black jacket on. She looked down at her own outfit and back up at Kiba. He followed her gaze and then laughed.

"What's so funny?" Shino asked as he appeared outside her door.

"We match," Kiba said as he held up the collar of his shirt.

"Ino is going to have a fit when she sees us," Sakura said as she got of her bed and took the two presents. Kiba grimaced as he thought about Ino's shrill voice screaming. Akamaru followed them out into the living room. On her coach was a big box in wrapping paper. "What did you guys get her?"

"You'll see," Kiba said. "It's from Team 8." Sakura nodded her head as she got her keys and headed for the door. She waited until everyone was out then she locked her door.

"Let's go," Sakura said.

"Ino better be grateful that I'm even going," Kiba complained as they started walking towards Ino's house.

"Hey, you wouldn't leave me there alone with Ino and her crazy antics," Sakura asked as she gave Kiba the puppy dog eyes. It had taken a lot of persuading from her and Hinata to convince him to come to the party.

_I count on you_  
><em>Your coming too<em>

"Yeah, yeah," Kiba mumbled. Then he looked over at her and smiled. Sakura raised an eyebrow at his weird antics. "You look good," he simply said. Sakura felt her cheeks heat up and she quickly looked away from him.

"T-thanks," she whispered. Why was she blushing? _Cause Kiba just complimented us,_ Inner said.

_So?_ Sakura asked.

_Well, look at him. He looks really good tonight too. You should tell him that_. Inner suggested.

_Not no but hell no,_ Sakura answered. But she had to admit that she did like the fact that she was getting a second chance to prove to everyone that she wasn't a little girl that cried about everything. Sakura winced a little when she remembered that Kiba had seen her when she had begged Naruto to bring Sasuke back.

_Cuz at my best and at my worst_  
><em>Yeah you've already seen it<em>

The rest of the walk Sakura kept her mouth shut. She could hear Kiba and Shino talking about their training session that day. Sakura was to busy with an argument with her Inner. _Don't you remember what Itachi told us?_ Inner challenged.

_Yeah, what I don't remember doing was agreeing to do it,_ Sakura argued.

_Well I say you should try it,_ Inner yelled. Sakura looked up at the two boys and frowned.

_I honestly don't think I would ever be interested in Shino._ Sakura cringed when her Inner screamed in her head.

_I didn't mean Shino!_

_Oh, really?_ Sakura asked innocently. Her Inner didn't bother answering. She moved their gaze to Kiba's back.

_Use your mind control to erase all memories of Sasuke,_ she ordered.

_No way, what if I can't remember?_

_Bull, you know you have done this many times before,_ Inner said.

Sakura groaned. She knew that her Inner would not give up unless she actually did what she wanted. Sakura closed her eyes for a few seconds and then looked back at Kiba. So he was cute. Especially today that neither his jacket hood or forehead protector covered up with wild hair. She really loved his hair like that. And Kiba was also really nice. He had been able to make her smile and laugh even when she had a million things to worry about and do. He was a strong ninja and a loyal friend. He had proved that when he had ran to fight alongside Shino.

Yes, Kiba had a lot of good qualities and he was good looking. Though he was still a loud mouth and hot-headed. But those things were sometimes what made him so funny. But could she actually fall for someone like that?

"Sakura!" Kiba waved a hand in front of her face. Sakura blinked a few times and then turned to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura answered as she lightly blushed._ He's also really considerate,_ Inner piped in._ And his eyes are gorgeous..._

_Shut it,_ Sakura yelled. "We're here," Kiba said as he pointed behind her. Sakura turned around and saw that they had reached Ino's house. Sakura could see Shino watching her from the corner of her eye. Suddenly the door was yanked open.

"Sakura!" Ino yelled as she wrapped her hands around Sakura. Sakura returned the hug.

"Happy Birthday," Sakura said as she pulled away.

"Thanks," Ino said. Her gaze moved down to her hand and her eyes brightened. "Two presents?"

"As if," Sakura scoffed. "One is for Shikamaru." Ino frowned but then her attention was pulled to the box in Kiba's hands.

"Happy birthday," Kiba mumbled as he handed her the box. Ino yanked it out of his hands and then rushed back in the house. Sakura could hear Kiba growl beside her.

"At least she didn't notice," Sakura told him. Kiba looked at her and nodded.

"But she will," he said as the four of them stepped inside the house. Kiba and Shino quickly made their way to Choji and Lee. Sakura went over to Hinata and Tenten.

Sakura then noticed the Ino had her hair down. "Ino you look really nice with your hair down," Sakura told the girl. Ino looked up at Sakura and smiled. Ino's hair had already grown out a lot since she cut it during their fight at the chunin exams. Her gaze returned to the two gifts Sakura was holding. "Here," Sakura said as she handed her one of the bags.

_Let down your hair_  
><em>The hell you cares<em>

"Thanks," Ino said as she snatched the bag out of her hands. In record time she had the small box out of the bag. Ino opened it and she stared wide eyed at the contents. _She better like it,_ Inner warned. "It's beautiful, Sakura." Ino hugged Sakura again before admiring her present some more. Sakura looked around the room. It was filled with balloons and other birthday decorations. There was food and drinks at some tables and music was playing in the background.

"Y-your present i-is really p-pretty," Hinata told her.

"Thanks," Sakura said. "What did you get her? Kiba didn't want to tell me." Hinata opened her mouth to answer her but Ino suddenly pointed an accusing finger at her. She opened her mouth to scream something at her but then glanced to where the boys were. She formed a circle with the girls and then whispered harshly at Sakura.

"You came here with Kiba," Ino stated.

"Yeah, so?" Ino looked over at Tenten and they both rolled their eyes.

"So," Ino said, "why are you two spending so much time together?"

"Because we're friends," Sakura answered.

"I think he likes you," Tenten murmured. Ino nodded in agreement.

"Please," Sakura said. "That's ridiculous."

"It's possible," Tenten defended.

"No it's not," Sakura told her.

"Fine," Ino said putting her hands up. "But let me tell you something, Sakura. Sasuke isn't the only guy out there. You should look at your options." Sakura stared at Ino, shocked. She had never expected Ino to be telling her that.

"Are you?" Sakura challenged. Ino straightened and looked her right in the eye.

"Yeah, I am," Ino answered. Sakura stared at her again. Ino had been her biggest rival for Sasuke. And just like that she was going to forget about him. She had never really cared about him to begin with. She's doing the right thing, Inner told her. Sakura let out a deep sigh. If Ino had decided to tell her this any other day she would have probably picked a fight with her. But today was her birthday. And Ino had every right to forget about Sasuke if she wanted to.

"Fine, it's your decision," Sakura mumbled as she looked away from her. The door opened at that moment and Shikamaru and his dad walked in. Once they spotted Ino they made their way towards them. Ino turned around when she heard them approaching.

"Happy birthday," Shikaku said as she handed Ino her present.

"Thank you," Ino said. Shikaku then left to go with Ino's dad and Choji's dad.

"Oh, Shikamaru," Sakura said before he could leave. He looked over at her. "Happy birthday." She handed him the other bag in her hand. Shikamaru stared at her hand for a little while and then took the bag.

"Thanks," he mumbled then walked had known that it would be a little awkward for her to give him a present but she hoped to change that.

The party was actually a lot of fun. Once Sakura had finally gotten Ino to lay back on the whole Kiba thing it had really been just amusing bickering and chatting. And Ino having a fit when she noticed she and Kiba were matching. Sakura had forgotten all of her worries. She had forgotten everything about Madara and Orochimaru. She had forgotten that she needed to continue to train to be able to help Itachi and Sasuke. She forgot about everything that needed to be done at the P.F. and what had happened with ANbu that morning. So for a solid two and a half hours, Sakura was just a teenage girl having fun at her best friend's birthday party.

That is, until the door burst open and a very nervous and breathless Hideo barged into the room. "Sakura-san," Hideo gasped out once he finally saw her.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as she rushed over to Hideo.

He took another deep breathe before answering her. "Anbu came...fighting...Isao...hurt...you need to come," he said between big gasps of air. Sakura was already rushing out the door before he finished his sentence. She could hear everyone else behind her but didn't bother to look at them. As she jumped on the roof of the nearest house Sakura could see the smoke coming from the main P.F. building.

"Damn it," Sakura mumbled. She had expected them to retaliate against her. Not attack the officers. And what was everyone doing there so late at night? It was already ten. They should have gone home. Sakura landed on the street to the P.F. and she did not like what she saw. It was complete chaos. There were Anbu members and officers fighting against each other. Worried civilians were looking out through their windows. There was fire that was getting to close to the building. This was definitely not something that the villagers needed to witness. She needed to get this mess cleaned up before the Hokage showed up.

Sakura spotted a kunai on the floor and ran for it. She looked back up at the crowd and found the mask she was looking for. Sakura through the kunai and was not surprised when he dodged it. But she had earned everyone's attention. "What the hell is going on here!" Sakura demanded as she walked in between the two groups that had formed. "Someone put out that damn fire before the entire building burns to the ground!" Sakura yelled at them.

One of the officers quickly went to do as she commanded. Sakura looked back at the Anbu that she had threatened that morning. "I can explain," he said. Sakura could tell that he was nervous. She looked at all of the Anbu there and wasn't surprised to see that they weren't even injured.

"I don't want to hear it," Sakura told him. She saw everyone from the party standing on the side lines. "There's this old saying you know. Threaten to knock down a door once. If they don't open it, then knock it down. Don't warn them again. I warned you. And this is what you do," Sakura said as she stretched out her arms. It was obvious to Sakura that he was nervous and swallowing his pride.

"It's not what you think," he began.

"I saw you attacking my officers," Sakura told him. "That's all I need to know. For your matter that is," Sakura said. She looked at all the Anbu there."Please do tell. What the hell were you all doing here?" Sakura sensed Tsunade moving around in her building. It wouldn't be long before she came to try and straighten things out.

All of the Anbu members kept quiet. Sakura looked back at the man who was a nervous wreck. But he seemed not to want to talk either. And then the Elders showed up on the scene. Sakura had not expected to see them here. "What is going on here?" Utatane asked both groups. Neither group answered. And Tsunade finally appeared.

"What happened?" Her voice was cold and menacing. Sakura ignored her and walked over to one of the houses. She knocked and after a few moments a man answered her. She asked him a few questions and was happy to realize that he had seen everything. Anbu had shown up here. And without a word attacked.

Sakura walked back to the space in between the two groups but this time she faced the officers. "Inside," Sakura told them. They glanced nervously at each other. "Now!" Sakura yelled at them. That seemed to wake them up. They all started helping each other into the P.F. building.

"What do you think your doing?" Tsunade asked her. Okay, so Sakura was most definitely scared of Tsunade. But she wasn't going to let the Anbu punks know that.

"Taking care of my officers," Sakura said. "Do the same." Sakura looked back at the Anbu members to emphasize her point. Without another word, Skaura walked into the building and slammed the door behind her. She looked around. Everyone's eyes were on her. Sakura let out a deep sigh and walked over to where Isao lay on the floor. He was the most severely injured. She got on her knees and started to heal him. She could see everyone sending questioning glances her way but she just focused on her patient.

"Sakura-san, we-"

"I know," Sakura interrupted Nanami. She looked up at everyone there. "All I have to say is thank you for defending the integrity of the Konoha Military Police Force." She gave them a small smile and then went back to healing Isao. But Isao put a hand under her chin and made her look at him.

"And thank you for defending ours," he told her. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows not understanding what he meant. "We heard about you going to Anbu headquarters," he explained. Sakura blushed lightly as she looked down again. The atmosphere in the room become a little more peaceful. People started taunting each other about how they performed in the fight. Once Isao was healed Sakura looked back up at the room.

"Don't think you guys are going to go unpunished for this," Sakura said over all the ruckus. Everyone groaned and started to complain. "I don't want to hear it," she said raising her hand. Then she pointed towards the door. "Anbu didn't have one scratch on them. That is not acceptable." Arguments went up again.

"They caught us off guard," Katsumi argued. Sakura just shook her head and kept going around everyone else that needed it. The bickering and taunting continued. Once she was done Sakura looked back up at the room. Everyone was chatting and having fun. _Yeah, they can have fun,_ Inner said. _We are the ones that will have to face Tsunade tomorrow._

_And go through with our threat,_ Sakura remembered. She stayed leaning against the wall looking at all the new people that she had gotten to know over the weeks. Sakura glanced at the clock and noticed that it was eleven. "Alright you guys," Sakura called out to them. It always surprised her how they actually shut up and listened to her. "Who wants to check if the coast is clear?" No one volunteered. "Don't all rush to the door," Sakura mumbled as she walked over to the door. She took a quick look outside and was happy to see that no one was out there. She opened the door all the way and said goodbye to everyone that passed by her. Sakura took one last look at the empty building before locking up.

She was really going to miss this place.


	22. Anbu's Secret

Chapter 22 Anbu's Secret

**Story dedicated to midnight03 for her help on this chapter and Lozbii for ****for the review.**

Sakura slowly walked into her apartment and she wasn't the least bit surprised to see Itachi on her coach watching TV. "Hey," Sakura mumbled.

"Tsunade is going to have your head tomorrow," Itachi commented.

"I know," Sakura whined as she sat down next to him.

"You should go easier on those two Anbu," Itachi said after a while. Sakura looked over at him and furrowed her eyebrows. "I used to be their leader on many missions. Saved each of their lives at least once," Itachi explained. Sakura slowly nodded her head.

"So you mean I shouldn't tell the Hokage?"

"No, you were right when you said only threaten someone once," Itachi said as he turned off the TV. "Just understand why they don't like the P.F. so much."

"What about the other Anbu?"

"I was looked up to by all of the Anbu members for being so young and skilled," Itachi told her as he walked to the kitchen.

"They were all disappointed when their ideal betrayed the village," Sakura said as she followed him.

"Pretty much," Itachi answered as he looked through the fridge. If Sakura couldn't feel his emotions she would have suspected Itachi was hiding his true feelings at the moment. He seemed at ease talking about these sorts of things. And Sakura knew that he was. To a certain point. There was still a slight bit of guilt over the matter but it was minimal. As if the offense hadn't been so severe. "You really need to go to the market," Itachi said as he finally gave up and settled for some yogurt.

"Sure, since I have so much time on my hands," Sakura sarcastically told him as she sat down next to him at the kitchen table.

"Why in such a fowl mood?"

"Pissing of the Hokage and and almost all of Anbu isn't enough to give me permission to be in a fowl mood," Sakura snapped, raising her voice a little. Itachi didn't say anything. He just gave her that damned look while eating his yogurt. Itachi never bothered prodding her or bothering to tell her that he knew she was lying. He just gave her a look that said either spill or go handle you shit somewhere else cause I'm not going to beg.

Sakura let out a sigh as she rested her elbows on the table and looked away from Itachi. She honestly didn't know what was bothering her. She had a million things to worry about but that wasn't the reason she was acting so rudely towards Itachi. She felt sad and just angry. But at what?

Then Sakura closed her eyes as she finally figured it out. She was sad about having to leave the P.F. and mad that they were taking what she had worked so hard to make away from her. But that was ridiculous. They knew that it was a lot of pressure for a genin to handle something like this. And it was only logical for a more experienced shinobi to take over. And she had actually had a voice in the matter. Isao was perfect to lead the P.F. And they weren't taking anything away from her. Everyone there respected her and would follow her orders. But Sakura still couldn't help the emotions that she was feeling.

"Humans are like that," Itachi said. Sakura looked over at him like he was crazy. She was sure he hadn't been saying anything before that so it seemed a little more than odd that he would suddenly say something like that. "We feel emotions that, logically, we should not feel. But that is one of the greatest flaws of humanity. We are to ruled by our emotions and usually our brain can't shut them off with reasons and logic. You'll always feel emotions that you might not want to or that you feel guilty for having but the important thing is whether you act upon them or not. You feel sad and unappreciated to some point. What matters is whether you whine or complain like a bitch or if you reign in your emotions and see only the truth. It's like what they saw with fear and courage. A courageous man isn't one that fears nothing-"

"But one that overcomes his fears," Sakura finished for him. So young, and yet so damn smart. How did he do it? "I'll remember that tomorrow when the Hokage rips my head off," Sakura mumbled as she went towards her room.

"Such a pessimist," Itachi mumbled as he followed her. "How's your training with Asuma?" Itachi sat down on the bed and leaned back on the pillows.

"Uuuhhh, pretty good," Sakura mumbled from the bathroom as she brushed her teeth.

"Getting the hang of the wind release?"

"Yeah," Sakura answered as she walked into the room again. "Not as easily as the water release."

"Maybe a different teacher would help," Itachi suggested as he read a book. Sakura raised an eyebrow. Itachi was acting a little too nonchalant at the moment.

"Like who?" Sakura cautiously asked. She hoped she liked the suggestion but it would probably be one of the Akatsuki members. Which meant she wouldn't like the answer.

Itachi looked up from the book at her. "He's actually very skilled with wind release."

"Who?" Sakura asked again going over all the names of the Akatsuki members and putting them with a face. She really hoped it wouldn't be any of the perverts Kisame mentioned once.

"Kakuzu," Itachi finally replied. Sakura flinched when she figured out it was one of the scary members. Itachi smiled a little when he noticed Sakura's face pale.

"Are you sure there isn't anyone else?" she asked timidly.

"Nope," Itachi said as he went back to reading his book. "And his partner will be joining him." Sakura froze as she was getting on the bed.

"H-Hidan?" she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Yep," Itachi answered. Sakura groaned and moved onto the bed. "Don't let Kisame's stories frighten you."

"So they're not true?" Sakura said lifting her head of the pillows and hope thick in her voice.

"They're true," Itachi bluntly answered. "Just don't let them scare you." With another groan Sakura fell back onto the bed.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru was on the roof of his house gazing up at the stars. He knew it was late and that his mother would be pissed to find him up there but the lazy genius just couldn't sleep. To much was on his mind for him to actually fall asleep. The scene he had seen in front of the P.F. building kept replaying in his head. He had never seen Sakura like that. And from the expression of everyone else there, they hadn't either. Sakura had no longer been the weak timid girl that he always remembered fawning over Sasuke. She also hadn't been rude or mean like when Naruto annoyed her. Sakura had carried herself with a sense of power and the thought that she had to have their respect. And she seemed to have gained it from some of them.<p>

He had seen the way the Hokage had stormed of and knew that Sakura was in a lot of trouble. But the pink haired girl must have known what she was getting herself into and that just made the scene the more astonishing. Shy, obedient Sakura had gone against Anbu and the Hokage. He would never understand women.

Sakura had never acted like that when Sasuke and Naruto were around. She had always seemed weak to him. Though he didn't completely look down on her thanks to the incident in the Forest of Death he and his team had witnessed. Though compared to Sasuke and Naruto Sakura was nothing. He wasn't trying to be mean or look down on Sakura or women. It was the truth. Sasuke was strong, smart, and stayed calm in dangerous situations. Naruto was a loud mouth that would always be getting himself in trouble and then shock everyone when he did the impossible time and time again. Next to them, no one would spare Sakura another glance. And that was the cruel truth.

So maybe now that both Sasuke and Naruto were gone they would get to see Sakura for all she was. Maybe that was already happening. Or maybe the more recent events had caused Sakura to change. Value life and therefore live it out to it's fullest without hiding who she really was? It was a possibility. All he had to do was stand back and watch what she did next.

And then there was her new relationship with Kiba...

To many things were changing for the Rookie Nine and Shikamaru found it a little unnerving. Which was why he was up there contemplating what had changed in Sakura. Not that he cared all that much for her in particular. But because he wanted to solve this puzzle like he would want to win a game of shoji.

And there was also the thing with Sasuke. He had never been let down by someone before and now he knew the feeling. The Uchiha had always excelled at everything he did. And even if he would rather sleep, Shikamaru wished to accomplish those same things. To some extent. Hearing that he left with the person that killed the Third Hokage had been a big shock. If he felt betrayed by Sasuke, he couldn't begin to imagine how Sakura and Naruto must have felt at first.

Team 7 was really turning out to be too troublesome.

A few muffled screams came from downstairs and he didn't need Kiba's enhanced hearing to know it was his mother. "What a drag," he mumbled as he stood up to try and slip into his room without his mother noticing.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was in a terrible mood. And the fact that she had to be awake so early in the morning didn't help. She let out a heavy sigh and leaned back in her chair. The Elders had been merciless with her. She couldn't understand how the Third had dealt with them for all those years. They had argued about how she needed to have more control over Anbu. That she was a weak leader and a horrible sensei from the way Sakrua had acted.<p>

The Fifth closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. The Elders had insulted Sakura the majority of the time. Though Utatane would never lower herself to actually cuss she used her descriptive language to insult Sakura in a much more elegant way. Tsunade couldn't understand where the sudden hatred towards the girl had come from. It just didn't make sense to her. Their weird actions had reminded her of the Haruno clans funeral. Sakura had felt ill and it had been the Elders who had rushed to her side before her friends even noticed something was wrong. She never got a straight forward answer from either parties when she asked them about the incident. Something was going on and Tsunade didn't like the idea of something happening that she was unaware of.

And she still needed to find a suitable punishment for the pink haired girl. Tsunade wasn't exactly angry with the girl. She had been rather proud that Sakura had stood up for her officers even when it came to the Hokage. But she still needed some form of punishment just so the girl would be a little more respectful the next time that she decided to defy her.

A soft knock on the door drew Tsunade out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called out. Sakura slowly walked into the room. She walked until she was a few feet in front of her desk and then bowed.

"Good morning," Sakura said. Itachi had almost had to throw a bucket of cold water on her head in order to get her up in the morning. She had been having a very relaxing dream. But that was all that she remembered. She didn't know what or who the dream had been about. Or maybe there had been no dream and she just subconsciously knew that only bad things awaited her if she got up. "I know you probably have something to say, but there is something that I would like to discuss with you first," Sakura shyly asked.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at the girl's request and her behavior. What had happened to the backbone she had last night? "And what would you like to discuss?" Tsunade asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Well, it involves one of the Anbu and I would like for him to be present," Sakura said as she straightened up a little.

"As you wish," Tsunade said. She called Shizune into the room and once she knew who to summon she quickly left.

The two females in the room only had to wait for a few minutes before the Anbu member arrived. He hesitated when he saw Sakura in the room and it seemed like he was contemplating running. After he greeted the Hokage he nervously asked why he had been called there.

"I don't know," Tsunade said as she moved her gaze towards Sakura. "What is it you wanted to say?"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but the Anbu member moved closer to her as he frantically whispered, "You don't have to do this." His tone was begging and Sakura felt the fear on him. She felt sorry for the guy but he had brought this down on himself.

"I already warned you," Sakura said at her normal volume. "You didn't listen, so deal with the consequences." Sakura glared at him for a moment and then looked back at the blond woman in front of her. "Should I tell her or will you?" Sakura asked him. Silence was his answer. With a light sigh Sakura began, "In recent conversations I have had with the Elders of this village, it has come to my attention something that you weren't exactly notified of."

"Because it had nothing to do with the village," the Anbu hissed beside her. Sakura was slightly impressed with his control to not try to cut her tongue out or something.

"And what would that be?" Tsunade asked as she looked between the two.

"Before the massacre of the Uchiha Clan, this Anbu member was put on various missions with many Uchiha's. On one of these missions, he came to be romantically involved with one of them. After the members death, this Anbu took it in his hands to burn down the majority of the books about the Uchiha in the library and was the one that burned down their regular meeting area that held many important scrolls. Scrolls that the village could have used to discover many of the Uchiha's other hideouts. And might have led to the capture of Uchiha Itachi."

"What?" Tsunade got to her feet. She was glaring daggers at the Anbu member in front of her. When she had heard of the incident, Tsunade had been furious. Those scroll could have led them to many resources of weapons and jutsus but also to some very rare healing techniques the Uchiha's had. And now she was being told that this Anbu member had done it because he had been upset over the death of his lover!

But the Anbu was paying her little mind. He was staring at the small girl before him with wide eyes. That just irritated Tsunade more. "Is that true?" Tsunade asked the Anbu. He seemed to finally recover from his shock and looked back at the furious woman he had in front of him.

"Y-yes," he answered after a moment.

Tsunade clenched her fists and quickly thought through her options. "You are hereby stripped of your Anbu title. And I think a could find a lovely string of missions that you can do without pay." Tsunade glanced at Sakura. "And you are ordered to help Sakura at anything that she may need until the chunin exams. Sparring, teaching, carry her damn groceries if that's what she wants. As long as they don't interferer with your missions your under her orders." Both of them stared at her shocked. "And as for you," Tsunade said as she faced Sakura, "your punishment will be out in the training fields."Sakura shivered. Tsunade put out her hand and looked at the Anbu. With a bit of hesitation, the Anbu member took of his mask and handed it to Tsunade. "Dismissed," Tsunade barked out. Neither of them waited to practically run out of the office.

Once outside, the Anbu turned to face her. "Why?" he simply asked.

"A little inaccuracy will save you a lot of explanation," Sakura recited one of the fortunes she had gotten at the ramen place. It was creppy beyond belief that now three fortunes had been so accurate. So Sakura had felt bad for the guy. Itachi, along with many other people, had told her that she needed to keep her feelings out of a critical decision like this but she just couldn't do that to this guy.

The real story had been that he had fallen in love with a _male _Uchiha. And though Sakura knew that Tsunade wasn't the type to look down on that type of thing she knew that the Anbu really worried about it getting out. And she hadn't exactly gone in depth about why he had burned all of those books and scrolls. The Uchiha had confided in the Anbu that he didn't think what the Uchiha's were planning was the right thing to do. He had warned him about an attack of some sort and to always be on the look out for any danger that might occur. He had given him some very sensitive information on the Uchiha's. And the Uchiha's themselves had decided to take him out before he could cause any more problems to the organization. But his death had been over looked when Itachi killed everyone else too. But this Anbu knew the truth. His lover hadn't been killed by Itachi that night. The Uchiha's had taken care of him the day before.

"And I don't think Tsunade needs to know about what he had told you before his death," Sakura said looking at the man for his reaction. He was actually pretty good looking without the mask. His hair was a dark brown that was cut pretty short. And his eyes were also a clearer brown. He seemed to be thinking about what she just said and what that meant. He nodded slowly.

"How did you find out?" he asked her.

"Sorry, but that I can't tell," Sakura said quickly. "Now we should go." Sakura started walking down the stairs to the training grounds below. She had plenty of things for the Anbu member to do for her but she didn't want to push it. She might have plenty of dirt on him to keep him quiet but that didn't mean he might just think it was worth the risk to rat her out first. "What's your name? Or what can I call you?" Sakura asked as she turned to look at the man.

"You may call me Kyoshi," he answered. Sakura took a double take when she noticed he was no longer in his Anbu uniform but in the usual jonin one. Sakura didn't even ask how he changed clothes so quickly. Sakura just sat down on the grass and started stretching. Tsunade would most definitely go through with her threat. "Why?"

Sakura looked up at him confused. "Why what?" Sakura asked as she tried to reach her toes.

"It seems like you know a lot more than I do about what the Uchiha's were planning," he began as he sat down on the grass in front her, "so why would you reestablish the Police Force and bring their honor back?" He was staring intensely at her and it put Sakura's nervous on edge.

"Not all of the Uchiha's were bad and agreed with that plan," Sakura told him locking gazes with him. He nodded in understatement. It was more than obvious to him that he knew how she felt about that. But he had acted out in anger and against the Uchiha's. "He was proud to be an Uchiha, wasn't he?" Sakura asked him, trying to make him see what she felt.

"Yeah," Kyoshi answered after a few moments of thinking.

"So did Sasuke," Sakura said. "I just wanted to help them regain some of the respect and honor that they had originally had. The people in this village shouldn't forget the reasons for why all of its members were proud to be an Uchiha in the first place." Kyoshi seemed to understand a little better but he still felt like he wouldn't be able to do that. And she couldn't blame him. Itachi had told her that many people were just not as open as she was. Or at least that's how he put it. Sakura felt upset with the Uchiha clan for everything they had put Itachi, Sasuke, and other Uchiha through in order to try and reach their goal. But she was able to look past her anger and try and understand the members who had stuck by their clan even if they didn't like what they were planning.

Sakura had never been part of a powerful clan like that but she imagined it must be similar to being proud of being a Leaf shinobi. So Sakura wouldn't let anyone ruin their name. _It's your name too._

Sakura's head popped up and she looked around the training field. No one else was around except her and Kyoshi. "Something wrong?" he asked as she saw her glance around in all directions.

"No, everything is fine," Sakura said still feeling a little shaken. _Great, now I'm hearing voices in my head, _ Sakura thought to herself.

_Forgetting someone,_ Inner piped in.

_No, but that wasn't you was it?_

_No, and it sure was _creepy,Inner said. It also hadn't been Itachi's voice; it had been a male voice.

"Alright, Sakura," Tsunade said as she walked out onto the fields. "I hope your ready." With a groan Sakura got to her feet to face her sensei.

**This might be the last update in a while. I'm heading back to school on Monday so I'm not going to have to much time to write but I will try my best.**

**Please review.**


	23. Itachi's Trip Through Konoha

Chapter 23 Itachi's Trip Through Konoha

Song: The Best Day by Taylor Swift

**I swear, this story is writing itself. At first this was just supposed to be a short snippet of Itachi in the market and then I'd move on to Sakura. But then this song came on while I was writing it and it just became something completely different.**

A tall and handsome man was walking around the store doing the average grocery shopping. No one paid him any special attention since he was just another ordinary civilian doing an ordinary chore. The handsome young man wasn't an ordinary one. He was actually a well known and wanted S-ranked missing nin. And used to belong to one of Konoha's most prestigious clans. And now the almighty Uchiha Itachi found himself in a market.

_Haven't had to do domestic work in a while,_ Itachi grumbled to himself. He knew very well that Sakura wouldn't have time to go shopping for groceries or would forget and he wasn't about to starve thanks to her lack of concentration. _Sure, she can just go out and buy something. No problem if there isn't anything edible in the house. I, on the other hand, don't have so many privileges._

As Itachi kept grumbling to himself about how "low" he had seemed to have gotten, he kept on walking through the aisles making sure he didn't forget anything important. His transformation jutsu had been simple. Just an ordinary brown haired man doing some shopping. As he turned onto another aisle Itachi noticed a beautiful woman with a small child by her feet.

_I'm five years old,_  
><em>It's getting cold,<em>  
><em>I've got my big coat on<em>

The small child started to tug at his mother's coat but the woman was a bit preoccupied deciding between two brands. The little boy gave up and walked down the aisle towards the shelve with cookies. He picks one of the circular packages up but as he is walking back to his mother he trips and falls back. The package of cookies rolls away and stops in front of Itachi's feet. Itachi bends down to pick it up and stays like that while the little boy makes his way towards him. Once he reaches Itachi, the little boy puts his hands out for the cookies. Itachi gives the boy the package. The boy gives him a large smile. "Thank you," he says. Then he walks back to his mother. She picks him up in her arms and smiles at the small boy as she pushes the cart up the aisle.

_I hear you laugh_  
><em>And look up smiling at you<em>

Itachi stays at the end of the aisle for a little while longer watching the pair leave. Itachi pushed back all the memories and emotions and finished his shopping. Once he made sure he had everything, he paid for his items and walked out the store. As he was leaving he saw the little boy and his mother. The little boy is now happily caring a small pumpkin in his hands. He is already thinking of ideas for what he wants to be for Halloween this year.

_I run and run_  
><em>Past the pumpkin patch<em>  
><em>And the tractor rides<em>

_"Itachi, your going to help me carve the pumpkin for Halloween later, right?" an almost five year old Sasuke asks him with big black eyes. Itachi bends at the waist and ruffles his hair._

_"Sure thing," Itachi tells him. "Don't want you getting hurt with that knife."_

_"I can handle a knife, Onii-san," Sasuke complains as he tries to decide which pumpkin he wants._

_"Right," Itachi says as he smiles down at his little brother. His eyes are filled with amazement and extremely focused on the task of picking which one to carve. For a moment Itachi wonders if he was ever like that._

_Look now,_  
><em>The sky is gold<em>

Itachi shakes his head to push the memories away. He starts walking down the street away from the mother and son. A few feet in front of him another small child, around eight or nine, was holding on to a younger girls hand. She keeps saying that she is tired and wants to go home. "We'll be home in a little bit," the older brother says kindly to his younger sister.

"But I'm tired," the girl complains as she clings to his arm. The boy stomps and squats down.

"Hop on," the boy tells her. The little girls squeals happily and climbs on her brother's back. The boy starts walking again and by the time Itachi passes them he can tell the little girl is almost asleep. A memory of when Sasuke injured his ankle and he cared Sasuke home came to Itachi's mind.

_I hug your leg and fall asleep_  
><em>On the way home<em>

With a heavy sigh, Itachi continued his walk down the streets of his village. When he turns another corner he sees a park across the street. Itachi sees a father and son walking on the grass. "You were really able to take down five of them all on your own!" the little boy asks.

"Yeah, but they were just chunin," his father tries to explain to him that it isn't that big a deal.

"But five ninja, Dad!" the boy repeats. His father laughs while shaking his head.

_I don't know why all the trees change in the fall_  
><em>I know your not scared of anything at all<em>

"Now, come one," the dad says. "Why don't we go to get some ice cream before heading home?"

"Yeah!" the little boy cheers as they leave the park.

"Just don't tell your mother," the father whispers to him.

_Don't know if Snow White's house is near or far away_  
><em>But I know I had the best day with you, today<em>

Itachi fights back all the memories that are bombarding his mind. No longer memories of what he had, but what he would never get to experience. It hurt that his father had never been like that. Not because he wished that for himself. But because he knew that Sasuke always yearned for that. His mother on the other hand had seemed to make up for the lack of attention his father had on his happiness. She had always been there with comforting words even when the younger boy hadn't realized he needed comforting. Sasuke had been to naive to actually realize how their father was and got hurt because of that. But it was that innocence that Itachi regretted most taking away from him.

_God smiles on my little brother_  
><em>Inside and out he's better than I am<em>

Itachi somehow managed to get back to Sakura's apartment without breaking down completely. He closes the door behind him and falls to the floor. He had seen another group of boys playing around on the monkey bars. A little boy with his mother going shopping. Another older man taking his mom out for lunch.

All of those scenes seemed to have been taunting Itachi the entire time. How was it possible that fate could be so cruel to him? Hadn't he had his share of misery in his life? _Didn't_ he have enough of that? Apparently not, cause seeing a lot of that could not have been worse for the Uchiha prodigy. He had blocked most of the memories of the time he spent with his family out of his head in order to be able to function properly without being stuck in a pit of depression. And now the memories were coming back to him full force. One in particular stood out.

_Itachi sat down at the table in the kitchen. He had just come back from training and the sun was barely beginning to rise. He heard footsteps make their way towards the kitchen. He might have only been six but he was smart enough to know that those footsteps weren't heavy enough to be his father's. And he was right. His mother walked into the kitchen with a baby Sasuke in her arms. "Good morning," she greeted him as she put Sasuke in the cradle they had in the kitchen._

_"Morning," Itachi said back. He really wasn't in a good mood at the moment. He hadn't been able to activate his Sharingan that day and it had just upset him more. Not to mention the attack from the Kyubbi hadn't been to long ago._

_"Why the long face?" His mother asked him in a sweet voice. Itachi looked up at her but didn't say anything. Instead he got up from the table and looked down at Sasuke in the cradle. "Itachi," Mikoto said as she stood beside her son. Itachi didn't look up at her. Mikoto moved her hand to his chin and made him look up at her. Itachi had expected her to be mad at him for not having obeyed her. He hadn't expected to see his mother crying._

_"What's wrong?" Itachi asked, worried about his mother. He loved her. But sometimes he wasn't a hundred percent sure that she gave him that unconditional love that every mother was supposed to give her children. It was hard to think that when she did nothing to stop his father from taking him out to train until he collapsed from exhaustion._

_"I know what your thinking," his mother began in a cracked voice. She bent at the waist so that their eyes were level. "I know your thinking that some day you will have to fight him. I know you fear you might win. Your kind Itachi. More selfless and giving then any other human I have ever been blessed to know. And it tears my heart apart when I think of why your so kind. Your special. Anyone else who had witnessed all of those tragedies wouldn't have become a pacifist. They would probably let the hatred and violence consume them. But you didn't. It's inhuman how you were able to do that. But I love the person you are becoming all on your own. I won't dare take any of the credit cause I know I had nothing to do with the way you turned out. That was all you." Mikoto paused for a moment trying to swallow her sobs. "Don't think about what might come of the future. Just enjoy the time you have with Sasuke. I love the two of you." Mikoto pulled her son into a hug. Itachi didn't hug her back. But she could feel her shirt getting wet and a pair of hands clenching to the front of her jeans._

_Now I know why all the trees change in the fall  
>I know you were on my side, even when I was wrong<br>_

Itachi closed his eyes as he tried to fight back the memory of his mother's tear stained face. Or the way she had squeezed him tight, afraid to let go. He regretted not having hugged her back. Though he had made sure to make up for it by showing her how much he cared for her that day on.

_And I love you, for giving me your eyes_  
><em>Standing back and watching me shine<em>

_Itachi and his mom sat on the grass outside in the garden. His father was away on a mission and Sasuke was at school. Itachi reached out and took his mother's hand in his. Mikoto looked at her son a little more than surprised. "Thank you," Itachi whispered without turning his gaze from the blue sky. "I love you, Mom." He knew that she had started to cry. Itachi didn't put up any resistance when she hugged him. This time, he returned the hug. _

_"I love you too," she whispered to him._

_Itachi let one lone tear run down his face. "I'm sorry," he mumbled into her hair. It would only be a few days now.__ He felt her stiffen for a moment but then she held him closer._

_"Do what you need to do," she said. They stayed like that, in each others arms, far a very long time. But it still wasn't enough for either of them._

_And I don't know if you knew,  
>So I'm taking the chance to say<br>That I had the best day  
>With you, today<em>

But he just didn't want to remember the underling meaning in his mother's words. She had chosen her words carefully. She hadn't said that Itachi didn't have to fight Sasuke if he didn't want to. She hadn't tried to reassure him that everything was going to work out in the end. When she become an Uchiha, she knew what she one day would have to see. And that would be her two sons fighting to the death. That was inevitable.

As if fate were playing a cruel joke, Itachi started coughing. His entire body shook as he coughed into his hand violently. Once the coughing subsided his throat hurt. He looked down at his hand and saw blood. Itachi quickly got of the floor and walked over to the kitchen making sure that he didn't drop any of the blood on the floor. He rinsed out his hand in the sink. As he saw the blood drain out, a vision of Sasuke covered in blood before him came to his mind. Itachi visible flinched as if he had been struck at the idea. When he and Sasuke finally faced of, it would definitely be the end of Itachi.

**Please review! Oh, and for any KibaXSakura fans, you need to read Home Again by earthbender068. Rated M but really good!**


	24. The Trade

Chapter 24 The Trade

"Need a hand," Kyoshi asked as he extended a hand to her. Sakura was currently laying down on the ground. Her clothes were ripped up and she could already feel many bruises forming all throughout her body. Sakura moved her gaze from the clouds to Kyoshi's face. She had the urge to punch him even if she knew that it would hurt her more than him to actually try and move her hands.

"You got the better part of the punishment," Sakura mumbled as she took Kyoshi's hand and tried not to flinch at the soreness of her muscles. He just laughed at her comment. Sakura glared at him but had no more strength to do more than that.

"You can go on ahead to your meeting with Team 10," Tsunade said as she moved toward her office not one hair out of place. Though Sakura still had a lot of areas she needed work on, she was definitely improving a lot more than Tsunade had expected.

"More training?" Kyoshi asked as he looked at the pink haired kunoichi.

"Yep," Sakura said as she walked away. Kyoshi was there right beside her. "I'm taking Shikamaru's place in Team 10 for the chunin exams since he already is a chunin." Kyoshi seemed to be nodding to himself but Sakura paid him very little attention. They made their way to Sakura's apartment where she quickly changed and got some water and food.

"Nice place," Kyoshi mumbled as he looked around the spacious apartment. Suspicion was coming off of him in heavy waves.

"My family had a lot of money saved up," Sakura quickly told him. "I inherited most of it this no one else had any claim to it." Kyoshi's suspicions lessened but they were still there. "Even after the funeral arrangements, there was still quite a lot left," Sakura whispered as she looked around the room with remorse. Now sympathy made Kyoshi's suspicions leave his minds. But he didn't say anything or ask any questions and Sakura was thankful for that.

She was about to say that they could leave when she noticed something was different. Sakura walked over to the kitchen and opened her fridge. Sakura had expected it to be empty, but it was fully stocked. _Itachi must have gone shopping,_ Sakura mused as she closed the fridge door.

They left the apartment and walked over to Asuma's house. Out of all her training sessions she liked this one the least. She was working well with Ino and Choji; that wasn't the problem. The problem was Asuma. He would always make Sakura nervous. Asuma would always watch, waiting for anything he could use to rat her out. And Sakura had come close to messing up a few times. His watchfulness was also one of the reasons she wasn't allows preforming to her complete potential even without all the training she had with Itachi and Kisame. Luck for her Itachi was always very present just in case things did get out of control.

But today he wasn't. Sakura didn't think much of his absence though. He probably had things to prepare for tonight.

"Hey, Sakura," Choji greeted her as she entered the backyard.

"Hi, Choji," Sakura said.

"About time you came," Ino yelled.

"Quit yelling," Shikamaru complained from the deck. Asuma and him were playing shoji.

"You guys should start warming up," Asuma instructed, though he never took his eyes of the board.

"Who's your friend?" Choji asked looking at Kyoshi.

"He's Kyoshi," Sakura explained. Though that was all she said. Kyoshi just nodded in their direction then went to sit under a tree and wait until they would leave. Her friends looked curiously at him but didn't ask anymore questions.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Sakura, Choji, and Ino were panting as they faced Asuma and Shikamaru. Asuma seemed perfectly fine but Shikamaru was a bit more out of breathe. Neither were as bad off as the other three genin were. It really wasn't a fair match. Not only were they out-ranked, but Shikamaru was a freaking genius for God's sakes. Sakura wasn't anywhere near him in that department. And skills wise she wasn't ready to beat a jonin either. Even if she had been training with two-now maybe three- S-ranked missing nin and the Hokage herself.<p>

"You guys are getting better at the team work," Asuma commented. "Definitely going to be hard to pick one of you for the team leader." Sakura could care less which one of them was team leader. It wasn't something that she was going for. All Sakura wanted to do was improve her skills and become a chunin. And being on a team with Naruto and Sasuke, she never really even gave being team leader a second thought. Sasuke would obviously take that position without question. Even Naruto wouldn't have put up much of an argument with that.

"You guys might have improved but your not that good," Shikamaru said as he walked over to the deck.

"No one asked you," Ino yelled at him. "Just because you have that green vest on doesn't mean you've surpassed us."

"Ino, you need to learn to take some criticism," Sakura told her. Ino gaped at her. Sakura was also a bit surprised to say that. She shouldn't have said that. In the beginning of her training, Itachi had repeated that to her a few times an hour. It had just stuck in her head. And after finally listening to him, she started to understand why he had been telling her that. It really was helpfully. How could you improve if you didn't know what to improve on? And she also disagreed with Ino's last comment. The vest didn't make him better than them. Shikamaru had already exceeded them when they were still genin.

"Glad you think that way," Shikamaru said as he rested his elbows on his knees. "Your too weak. Your punches have gotten stronger since you've been using the chakra control but its still not enough. You second guess yourself and end up missing crucial opportunities. You need to learn to think during critical times and not break under pressure. You shouldn't have to think about blocking attacks; it should be second nature to you. Learn to analyze your attackers and find their weak points. Your stamina has increased since we started training but it still needs to be improved. And you need to be more aware of your surroundings; an enemy could be lurking around every corner." Shikamaru stood up and turned around. "Oh, and another thing," Shikamaru said without turning to face her..

Suddenly a kunai came straight at her. Sakura quickly moved her hand up and caught the kunai from its handle. Kisame had done that way too many times for Sakura to actually be surprised by it. "Your reflexes have improved," he finished and then went into the house. Everyone there stared at the closed door.

"Well," Asuma began, "I guess we are done for today." He obviously wasn't surprised that she had improved so much in what seemed to be very little time.

"I'll see you guys later," Sakura said as she was already walking away. She heard Kyoshi get to his feet and move towards her. Sakura didn't even look back when Choji and Ino said their goodbyes. They walked through the village in silence. There was something about Shikamaru that was different. She didn't know what but he just seemed off to her. "Give me a scenario," Sakura suddenly said as she looked over at Kyoshi.

"What?" Kyoshi asked not understanding her question.

"Give me a scenario," Sakura repeated. When Kyoshi still didn't seem to understand what she was saying, Sakura explained a little more. "A place, time, opponent, abilities, handicaps, something." Understanding came over Kyoshi's face. The rest of the way home Kyoshi would ask her about different scenarios and Sakura would try and answer them. Unlike most of her other training sessions, where they would start off at the hardest level and never decline in difficulty, Kyoshi gave her simple ones so she could understand what she was supposed to do and then gradually started to make the scenarios more difficult and the questions more complex. Once the questions and scenarios started getting harder, Sakura got more of them wrong. Kyoshi explained that she needed to think about every single perspective and options other than just the obvious ones. After every wrong answer, he would explain the right one and tell her why hers was wrong. By the time they reached her apartment, Sakura had a slight headache from thinking so much.

"Your pretty smart," Kyoshi complimented her as they entered the apartment.

"I'm sure Iruka would be very proud," Sakura mumbled.

"Anything else I can help you in," Kyoshi asked.

Sakura opened her mouth to say no and bid him farewell when she remembered something in his profile. "Maybe," Sakura said. Kyoshi raised an eyebrow at her. Sakura bit her bottom lip. She wasn't sure whether she could trust Kyoshi to actually ask him something so sensitive. Itachi wasn't around, so she couldn't ask him. And if she asked the right questions maybe he wouldn't be suspicious of her. She walked over to the coach and sat down. Kyoshi soon followed. "I read in your file that your pretty skilled in genjutsu," Sakura said after a few moments.

"And I read that you are also a genjutsu type and that your taking lessons from Kurenai," Kyoshi told her. Now it was Sakura's turn to raise her brow. "Now thee enemy, right?" Kyoshi responded her unasked question.

"Right," Sakura said. "Well," again she paused. She didn't know exactly what to say, and the fact that he might still think of her as the enemy wasn't helping her decide. "What exactly did the Uchiha tell you?" It wasn't exactly what she wanted to know but it was a good start. Kyoshi furrowed his eyebrows for a moment.

"That the Uchiha's were not happy with having to live under the control of the Hokage and that I should be careful of any suspicious activity on their part. And to be ready for anything that might happen," Kyoshi told her. Sakura could tell that he was telling the truth.

"If I wanted to hide the content of a book," Sakura began not even bothering to form a good transition, "is there a strong enough genjutsu that even an Uchiha couldn't disable?" Kyoshi studied her for a few minutes.

"A can think of only a hand full," he finally answered. "But first let me ask you something. What do you know about the Uchihas' plans?"

"I can't answer that," Sakura said.

"Then I can't help you," Kyoshi said. He even crossed his arms over his chest like a stubborn child. Sakura glared at him and weighed her options. She would have to try and trade something for the information she wanted. She had already given up way to much information. His mind was probably furiously working on trying to think of something that she might want to conceal or uncover and it wasn't a good thing that he was. He was in Anbu for a reason and sooner or later he would come up with something; whether it was right or not wasn't the problem. The problem was that he would be looking for clues in everything she said or did. Then Sakura finally realized something. She wanted to hit herself on the head for not coming up with it sooner.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Sakura asked.

Kyoshi was taken of guard by the question. "Of my lover," he asked. When Sakura nodded, he shook his head no.

"What if I could get you one?"

"How? That area is of limits even for Anbu," Kyoshi asked very suspicious now.

"I have my methods," Sakura answered curtly. Kyoshi looked at her. He seemed to be thinking it through so Sakura waited patiently for his answer even though her heart was pumping at 100 mph. She had no idea what she would do if he said no. It hadn't been that hard for Sakura to finally come up with that proposition. How many times had she stayed up at night staring at Sasuke in the picture of Team 7? She just hadn't thought of it because of who she was dealing with. He was in Anbu and probably wouldn't give up so easily. But Sakura had forgotten that he was human and would sometimes bend to his emotions and needs.

"Alright," Kyoshi finally agreed. "But it better be a good picture."

"Promise," Sakura said. She really hoped that Itachi hadn't done anything to the houses, otherwise she was screwed. "So what are some of the genjustus?"

"Well most of the ones I'm thinking of would sooner or later be cracked by a skilled Uchiha," Kyoshi started, "but there is only one that an Uchiha could never read. I only read about it once. It's a genjutsu that the Kurama clan came up with. Very strong and hides any writing perfectly. But an Uchiha would crack that after a few months of hard work." Sakura opened her mouth to object when Kyoshi raised his hand to silence her. "Another jutsu was invented that can be placed on top of the genjutsu. This jutsu uses an Uchiha's eyes as the spark for a flame. If an Uchiha were to lay his eyes on it, the pages would start to burn." Sakura's eyes widened as she realized that these were the jutsus used.

"I've read almost every book on genjutsu's in the library and I have never heard of something like that," Sakura said. Kyoshi seemed to visibly tense.

"Well...I'm sure you haven't looked through _all_ of the library," he mumbled. It took a while for Sakura to finally be able to understand what he was saying. And then it took her another few moments before she understood why he seemed like he didn't want to say that.

"You've been to the restricted section!" Sakura said in astonishment. Kyoshi quickly moved to cover her mouth.

"Sshh," he said. He looked around the room as if someone was about to jump out and put handcuffs on him.

"Oh, calm down," Sakura said, shoving his hand away from her mouth. "So how do you disable the jutsu?"

"Oh, you can't disable the Uchiha one," Kyoshi said. Sakura fought against her self to have her jaw hit the floor. "That one is permanent which is why it's so powerful. Even if you deactivate the genjutsu, if an Uchiha lays his eyes on it the pages will burn." Sakura had to suppress a groan.

"And the genjutsu?" Sakura asked. "How do you disable that?"

"You need someone from the Kurama clan," Kyoshi said. "They have to form a variety of seals and use up a lot of chakra to finally break the seal." Sakura took a quick peek inside Kyoshi's head and retrieved the seals that she would need to do. But, sadly, she wouldn't be able to try it out tonight since she had training with Kakuzu that night. "I'll be expecting that picture soon," Kyoshi said.

Sakura nodded her head. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll make sure to get you one."

"Oh, if there is more, please do bring those too," Kyoshi said. Sakura looked at him. Even after all of those years, Sakura could clearly see the love in his eyes and it radiated off of him in strong waves. Love really did surpass time. Sakura wanted to ask him more about the Uchiha but she thought that their relationship was still to young to get into that type of conversation.

"Well, if there is nothing else I can do for you than I should get going," Kyoshi said as he stood up.

"I think you can go," Sakura answered. Kyoshi nodded and went towards the door with Sakura following him with her gaze. When he was at the door he stopped and looked back at her.

"Your squad was in charge of sending a reply to the Hokage that was relayed verbally. Your team is attacked and everyone is killed. You are the only one standing. Your chakra is at its limit and there are still four jonins from another village that are ready to capture you," Kyoshi stops talking. He stairs at the wall in front of him. "What do you do?" he whispers after a while.

"Suicide," Sakura immediately whispered back. Kyoshi stays quiet. Then he opens the door.

"See you tomorrow," he said before closing the door.

Sakura stays on the coach looking at the door. After a few moments she slowly gets up from the coach and goes into the kitchen. In another half hour Sakura sits down at the kitchen table and starts eating her meal. Kyoshi's last question was odd. Sakura knew that there must have been something else that he had gotten out of it or another reason to why he asked her that. Sakura let out a sigh. She looked over at the clock and groaned. Itachi would be expecting her soon. But she was not eager to go to the clearing tonight.

After washing the dishes and getting dressed, Sakura made her way to the outskirts of the city. It was still pretty early so Skaura had to go through allies in order to not be detected. It took her longer than it should have to get to the forest surrounding the city. Sakura quickly headed towards the clearing though she was dreading having to arrive there.

Once she was close, she started to hear voices. Sakura didn't bother to try and figure out what they were saying or slow down to see if she could hear more parts of the conversation; they probably knew exactly when she entered the forest. When Sakura entered the clearing the talking didn't stop. Sakura say Itachi standing before two men. One of them had his white hair brushed back while the other had green irises on black sclera. Sakura shivered a little. One of them looked like the devil and the other was just weird. And the fact that neither of them could be killed wasn't helping Sakura's nerves.

"So you must be Sakura," Hidan said once he finally noticed her. The other Akatsuki members looked at her.

"We shouldn't waste much time," Itachi said. "Get started," he told Kakuzu.

"Loosen up a little," Hidan told Itachi. "So, how strong are you?" he asked as he walked up to Sakura. She didn't respond but just took a few steps away from him. "Scared?" Sakura just kept staring at him without responding. There was something about him that put Sakura on edge. She could feel the emotions coming off of him but she knew that she must be mistaken. Death and blood lust were the only emotions that Sakura could feel coming from him at the moment. His intent to kill was almost more over powering than Orochimaru's had been. He gave her a sinister smile and reached for the weapon on his back. Sakura just stood there frozen.

"That's enough, Hidan," Itachi called out to him. His voice was hard and angry.

Hidan leaned back and let his hand fall to his side. "Calm down, Itachi," he said. "I was just kidding." Humor and amusement replaced the blood lust but it was still present and so was death. Sakura fell back and kept on staring at him. She was trembling and didn't think she could get up even if she tried. And here she had thought that something like this wouldn't happen again after everything she had seen. But she knew that if she had never met Madara that right now she would have been far worse. Memories of how death had felt through those two missing nin kept hitting her over and over again. The despair and finality of it all was overwhelming. How could someone _feel_ like death? "Besides," Hidan said as he looked at the frightened genin on the floor, "she needs to learn how to handle killing intents." With that, Hidan walked away from her and sat down in front of a tree.

Itachi looked over at Sakura but didn't say anything or offer her a hand. Though he hated to admit it, Hidan was right. She was going to have to deal with that. He moved away from her and towards where Hidan had chosen a seat. He glared at him but didn't say anything and just sat down next to him.

Sakura moved her gaze over to Kakuzu who seemed a lot taller since she was still currently on the floor looking up at him. His killing intent wasn't much different from Hidan's so Sakura couldn't bare the thought of having to fight with him. But she knew that Hidan was also right. Sakura concentrated on her head. Slowly she sent chakra into her brain and then closed her eyes. She had been doing a lot of reading on the human brain and how it worked and it finally seemed to be paying of for her. She directed the chakra into the hind-brain and then to one of the glands inside. The amygdala was responsible for emotions, specifically fear and anger. Sakura surrounded the amygdala and temporarily detached it from the rest of the brain. Instantly she was no longer afraid. Sakura began to move her chakra away from the amygdala and opened her eyes.

When she looked up at Kakuzu and felt his killing intent wash over her, she was scared again but nothing compared to how she had been before. With a bit more practice Sakura knew that she would need less chakra and time in order to do what she had done but she would just have to settle with what she had.

"How much do you know about wind manipulation?" Kakuzu asked. Sakura slowly stood up from her spot and looked over at the man in front of her.

"Almost nothing," Sakura answered. Kakuzu furrowed his eyebrows and then looked to his left. He lifted his hand and then suddenly the tree he had been facing was sliced in half. Sakura's eyes widened at the sight.

"Learn how to manipulate air well enough and you could slit a target's throat without even having to be anywhere near him or leave any trail," Kakuzu told her. Sakura slowly swallowed. He had pretty much just told her that he could cut her into a million pieces with just looking at her. "Have your chakra be as thin as possible to be able to increase the amount of power in an attack. Now-"

"Wait," Itachi interrupted. Everyone turned to look at him. Itachi was staring of at the floor not really focusing on anything. Hidan opened his mouth to say something but Itachi put his hand up to silence him. Hidan and Kakuzu exchanged confused glances but both remained quiet. It didn't take Sakura long to realize that he was probably talking to someone telepathically. Soon enough Itachi looked up at her. His eyes were filled with worry and anger.

"Orochimaru is on the move."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry <em>it took so long to update but having two ap classes and trying to maintain a 4.0 is a lot harder than I thought. And the ap exams are right around the corner. But I have made it my goal to try and update by or on Sakura's birthday!<em>**

******Please review! Helps get me inspired :)**


	25. Attack

Chapter 25 Attack

Song: Something In Your Mouth by Nickelback

_This is so unfair,_ Sakura thought as she looked out the window. The small village she was currently in was very uneventful to Sakura's great dismay. She had been here for over three hours now and no one bothered to come by to see if she was still alive. Sakura was in a pair of black capri pants and a red T-shirt. She didn't have her headband on since no one should know that she was a Konoha ninja. The only things of that might give anything away were her ninja shoes and the bandages wrapped around her right thigh. Sakura let out a sigh as she let her mind wonder.

_Why must the clone always get the better deal?_ Inner asked, annoyed. Sakura didn't even bother to respond. Once Itachi had told them that Orochimaru was up to something he told Hidan and Kakuzu to go and investigate what he was up to. The problem was that they couldn't go alone since Itachi didn't trust them to not cause unnecessary trouble and no one else was anywhere close enough to get there in time to still get to Orochimaru. So what did the genius of Hidan come up with? That's right, he suggested that she go along to keep an eye on them. Though Itachi had been reluctant in the end he made Sakura form two clones and then sent her off with the two devils of Akatsuki. The trip to the small village they were now in had been tiring since the two men kept a fast pace.

And Sakura had no idea why she had even come! All they did was drop her off in the hotel and tell her not to dare leave the room while they went and investigated. Sakura had a feeling that Hidan seemed like he was way to eager to go and "investigate." So there was very little that Sakura could actually do. And even though she had been sitting in the hotel room since they arrived, Sakura's heart was racing inside her chest. Orochimaru might be here in this village at this very moment. A fight could occur at any moment and her body was already pumping adrenaline into her system to prepare her for what might come.

But she was fooling herself if she said that was the only reason that she was so nervous. If Orochimaru was here in the town, then that meant that there was the slightest possibility that Sasuke could also be there. The idea of seeing Sasuke again sent her blood racing throughout her body. It excited her to think that she might get to see the face that she stared at every night in real life but it also made her so nervous that she had trouble breathing. It would be hard to see what he had turned into. She wasn't about to give herself false hopes that he might actually still be the old Sasuke she had adored when they were little and then come to actually love for everything he was.

The Sasuke she had known was no more. Yes, Sasuke had never been to emotional but he wouldn't have left the village without a glance back. He wouldn't have hurt Naruto so badly and then just left him there in the rain. He wouldn't have been so heartless. The Sasuke she loved was still there though. He had just been taken over by hate and the need for revenge. Ever since he got the curse mark things just spiraled out of control.

Sakura could remember the look in Sasuke's eyes when he first activated the curse mark. It had been frightening seeing Sasuke like that. He had been completely taken over by the hatred that was inside of him. He reminded her so much of how Orochimaru had looked: eager to kill. It was something new for Sasuke. She could tell how much he was enjoying having the new strength and speed. He had enjoyed hurting that sound nin. And even though a part of Sakura wanted to be naive and think that he had done all of that because he was mad that they had hurt her she couldn't continue to lie to herself. She was probably the last thing on his mind when he was hurting them. She had been his excuse, his justification.

A familiar chakra coming down the hall caught her attention and Sakura quickly rubbed her eyes, getting rid of any evidence that she had been on the verge of tears before. Sakura kept staring out at the village as the door opened. Kakuzu didn't even bother to greet her but just simply walked over to the table and set down the bags he had in his hand.

"Isn't it a bit counterproductive to have you out there looking for Orochimaru and yet taking so much care not to wear the Akatuski cloaks?" Sakura asked as she stood up from the window sill and walked to the table. It had been too long since she had last eaten something.

"Why so?" Kakuzu asked in a tone that made Sakura feel as if he was humoring her.

Sakura glared at him but kept her voice steady as she said, "Most of the people in Akatsuki are hard to miss, but you overall stand out." This time Kakuzu didn't even bother to indulge her with an answer so Sakura gave up on that matter and started eating some of the take out. "Where's Hidan?" Sakura asked after a while. They had both agreed to be back by this time and share information. She tried to reach out to his mind but he wasn't in the small perimeter that she was able to reach.

"Indulging himself," Kakuzu answered and Sakura didn't ask for anymore explanation. "If he gets himself in trouble, he'll have to face Itachi and Pein on his own," Kakuzu mused. Sakura chuckled a little. Hidan did seem like a troublemaker. They ate the rest of the food in silence. Sakura kept staring out through the wind so she quickly noticed when the first drops of rain started to fall.

* * *

><p><em>You naughty thing<em>  
><em>Your ripping up the dance floor honey<em>  
><em>You naughty woman<em>  
><em>You shake your ass around for everyone<em>

Music kept blaring through the speakers that were strategically placed throughout the crowded bar in order for every corner to be filled with music making talking very hard. The club was dimly lit to give it a sense of mystery. Cigarette smoke made the place that much darker. But the darkness was a reason so many people came; discretion was always top priority. The bar was crowded with men getting drinks and looking for someone to have a good time with. Loud and obscene comments were muffled in with the music as women danced on top of tables in very provocative clothing.

_Your such a mover_  
><em>I love the way you dance with anybody<em>  
><em>The way you swing<em>  
><em>And tease them all by sucking on your thumb<em>

Men applauded at the performance they were watching and no one bothered to cover up their growing arousal. It was the reason all of them were there anyway. Couples indiscreetly disappeared up a stair case only for the man to return later.

_ You're so much cuter when you never pull it out_  
><em>Cause you look so much cuter<em>  
><em>With something in your mouth<em>

In an even more secluded table was a man surrounded by many women on all sides. He kept drinking his beer as one of the woman on his right started to rub his inner thigh and the other one nipped and licked at his throat. All of the women there were wearing dresses that barely reached mid-thigh and hardly covered any part of their chests. But that was exactly why the bar was so packed. The women kept giggling around him. Most of them were completely intoxicated but the two right next to the man weren't and the only reason for that was because he needed them lucid so they could answer his questions.

_Crafty little lip tricks_  
><em>Tattoos on her left hip<em>  
><em>She's bending as your spending<em>  
><em>There's no end to it so baby come one<em>

"Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" Hidan whispered into the blonde woman's ear. The loud music kept anyone else from hearing their conversation but it also made it difficult for the woman beside him to hear him.

"Can't remember," the woman mumbled as her hand traveled further up his thigh and then back down.

"You sure," he said as he slipped a wad of cash into her breasts letting his hand linger inside.

"Well, I can definitely remember a few things," the other woman said as she say the amount of money Hidan had given the other woman.

"But of course," Hidan said as he did the same for the other woman. Both women smirked at each other. Usually they still wouldn't have spilled anything but Hidan had gone there many times before and he never disappointed when it came to money or other "expectations." He was someone they wanted to keep happy.

"There have been rumors going around about a guy coming here and asking a lot of questions," the blonde answered him.

"No one had ever seen him around before so no one said anything to him," the other added.

"Though other than you, I have never seen any white haired men like the guy he was describing."

"Don't forget that he also had white hair."

"That's right," the blonde agreed. Hidan stared straight ahead as he listened to the two women speak. Looked like Orochimaru had sent Kabuto here to get information on Jiraiya. At least they hadn't said anything. It definitely wasn't in Akatsuki's best interest to have Orochimaru in possession of the nine tails.

_Dirty little lady_  
><em>With the pretty pink thong<em>  
><em>Every sugar daddy hitting on her<em>  
><em>All night long<em>

"How long ago was he here?" Hidan asked the lady's as he set his beer on the table. He had gotten what he needed so he was definitely going to make them work for the money he had given them.

The blonde looked at him with a confused face. _I know your a blonde but you can't be that stupid, honey,_ Hidan thought as he was about to repeat the question. "He's here right now," the blond answered before he could open his mouth. Hidan stared at her in shock._ Shit,_ he cursed in his head. He didn't know whether masking his chakra now would give him away or not. How could he have not thought about doing that from the beginning? Hidan looked around the bar for any signs of Orochimaru's henchman but couldn't see him. He could easily kill that guy, that wasn't why Hidan was freaking out. Itachi had specifically told them not to be found. Not to mention they had a Konoha ninja traveling with them. _I just had to open my big mouth..._

"He brought a friend this time," the other woman told him.

"He is so creepy too," the blonde added.

_Fuck my life..._

Orochimaru was here! Now with him he might have had trouble with if he was still as good as he used to be, but Hidan doubted that. Now what was he going to do? He was screwed if they sensed his chakra or had already sensed it. So much for having fun tonight.

"Where are they?" he asked them.

"Hidan, please don't start something," the blonde told him.

"I won't," he answered. "So, where are they again."

The blond opened her mouth to answer him but she was interrupted. "Hidan!" Hidan moved his gaze from the blonde and to the man that was standing in front of him at that moment. He already knew who it was. That chakra, that voice gave him away. Standing in front of him was none other than Orochimaru himself. "Long time no see," he said in that slimy little voice of his. _Fucking shit! This motherfucker just_ _screwed me over,_ Hidan thought. Itachi was going to kill him. But maybe he could get away with some payback on Orochimaru. His chakra levels were obviously lower than what they used to be. But where was his sidekick?

"It has been a long time," Hidan responded. He looked over at the blonde. She quickly understood and the girls and her moved away from the table. Hidan took his beer and took a long drink never taking his eyes of off Orochimaru who kept standing there. He had a devilish grin on his face. He was definitely up to something.

"Where's your partner?" Orochimaru asked looking around as if he were actually searching for him.

"He doesn't usually like these types of places," Hidan responded.

"So you're here all alone?" It was a statement and it unnerved Hidan. He was only hesitant to fight a hand full of people and Orochimaru used to be one of them. Though he might be able to defeat him in combat now, Hidan wouldn't underestimate on of the Sanin. It seemed like this would turn into a fight whether he liked it or not. But he most definitely would enjoy it to the best of his abilities. A grin played on his lips. He couldn't wait to go up against a Sanin. Worst case scenario he would be torn to pieces but then Kakuzu could just stitch him back together. Too bad Itachi had said not to do anything drastic. But a fight would happen either way so why not make the first move?

"Looks like it," Hidan finally responded. Orochimaru let out a bone chilling laugh. Hidan was actually starting to become a bit...worried with this guy. Just went to show how demented this guy was. He almost thought it was a bad idea to sacrifice this guy to Jashin. He was just too crazy. But a bad sacrifice was better than no sacrifice.

Hidan was about to reach for his weapon but soon realized he couldn't move his body. _"Don't do anything_ _stupid,"_ a voice in his head told him. Hidan was utterly confused with what was going on. _"Clam down. It's just me, Sakura,"_ the voice said again._ Well, it does sound like the brat,_ Hidan thought. _"Brat?"_ Sakura screamed back.

_"Okay, so you really are in my head,"_ Hidan thought.

_"Yes, and me and Kakuzu are on our way so don't do anything-"_

The rest of Sakura's warning was lost on Hidan as an ear-piercing scream went through the bar. Hidan looked up at the roof where the scream had come from. The music was turned off and some of the security guards rushed upstairs. Everyone else just stood around looking at the stairs. For a few moments only the rain pounding on the roof could be hear and then soon everyone began to discuss what might have happened.

Hidan paid attention to the staircase so he saw when the two guards were thrown down the stairs so hard that they broke through the ground. Women could be heard screaming and men started to back away from the stairs. Kabuto came down and he had a few stains of blood on his clothes. Orochimaru's laughter drew everyone's attention to him.

"Let the fun begin," he said.

* * *

><p>Sakura had been searching for Hidan's mind so she would know exactly when he finally decided to return to the hotel room. That was the only reason why she had felt it when his emotions started to take unusual turns. The fact that she could even sense his emotions at that moment was a shock to her let alone that he was surprised and then quickly nervous. Hidan didn't seem like the type of person who got nervous. Kakuzu had been at the table going over financial records so Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on Hidan. It took a lot out of her to find him and then slip into his mind so she could see what was bothering him so much.<p>

She almost screamed in fear and shock when she saw Orochimaru standing right in front of him. Sakura quickly told Kakuzu what was going on and after grabbing her kunai pouch they both sprinted off to where Hidan was. Both of them completely ignored the fact that they were being soaked by the rain. The closer they got the easier it was for Sakura to be able to be in Hidan's head and soon enough she was able to communicate with him. She knew that it wouldn't be smart to start a fight here. People would get hurt and Itachi had told them not to direct any attention to themselves, so why Hidan was about to engage Orochimaru was beyond her.

And then Sakura heard the scream and she felt everyone in that bar panic. She ran faster. Orochimaru already knew she was with Itachi; he had killed her entire clan because of it. And she was going to do everything in her power to make sure that he didn't get away with whatever he was planing. As they got closer to the bar they saw people running in the opposite direction. They could hear the screams from the people that were still inside. Without thinking, Sakura focused her chakra on her arm, faced the wall of the club, and punched a big hole through it.

All eyes turned to her for a split second and then people were rushing out of the bar as fast as they could. Kabuto and Orochimaru were in the middle of the room and the perimeter had many Sound ninja that were making their way towards her. Again on instinct, Sakura faced the crowd of ninja that were attacking her. She side stepped their punches and then was able to land a few of her own before their shear numbers overpowered her. She was thrown across the room into the far wall that was lined with beverages. When she made impact with the wall the glasses shattered and pieces dug into her back. Sakura bit her lower lip to keep any noises inside. She quickly got up and again started throwing punches at the ninja.

Sakura was vaguely aware of the four men in the center of the room. Kabuto was attacking Kakuzu but it seemed more like Kakuzu was just playing with him. Hidan was fighting of a few of the other sound ninja and Orochimaru was observing her._ You want a show, you've got one,_ Sakura thought to herself. She threw a chakra enhanced punch at the ninja in front of her sending him across the room and then kicked the guy behind her in the gut before throwing three kunai at the two men to her right. Sakura back flipped above the man in front of her and then punched his neck to knock him out. She then jumped backwards to avoid a kunai being thrown at her.

"Finish them off," Sakura vaguely heard Orochimaru say. Sakura knocked out the guy who had just thrown the kunai at her and looked over at Orochimaru. There were four people standing around him. They had ragged clothing on and seemed frail. Suddenly Sakura felt their chakra levels go through the roof and she could see where the curse mark was forming on their bodies. The one nearest to her had his head hung low. He had orange hair and was trembling. He raised his head and let out a scream.

"I need to kill!" Sakura suddenly felt her feet lift off the floor and her body crash against the wall of the building across the street. _He's fast,_ Sakura thought as she got up. Again she was hit so quickly that she had no hope to be able to block her attacker. The guy screamed again as Sakura pushed pieces of wood off her body so she could stand. She opened her mind to her surroundings so she could sense where he was coming from next. This time, Sakura had just enough time to jump into the air before he hit her again. "Kill!" he screamed again. His voice was completely void of any human emotion. Sakura swung a punch his way but he was too fast and was able to hit her first. She went flying through two walls and landed on the rough ground of an allyway.

_Where the hell are those good for nothing, arrogant bastards!_ Inner screamed in her head. A loud explosion from where she thought she had left Kakuzu and Hidan answered that question. She heard heavy footsteps coming her way and she turned around to take on the punches. Instead of trying to dodge or attack, Sakura created an ice shield in front of her in order to not be hit by another one of those super enhanced punches. The ice cracked but didn't break completely. The guy punched the ice continuously until he was able to break through. Sakura threw more ice blocks at him but he easily knocked them out of the way.

This guy's power was amazing. All of her training and hard work seemed worthless as she continued to try and attack him. She just kept being thrown through houses and punched throughout her body. It just didn't make sense to her. Sakura tried to immobilize him by freezing his feet but he was able to break the ice within less than a minute. Even Kisame had been wary of getting caught in her ice.

Sakura started to run through the city and into the forest. She wasn't able to get far before the orange haired boy caught up to her again. Sakura heard screams and more explosions coming from the village behind her but that was the last of her worries. Her back was bleeding and she had many bruises and maybe even a few fractured bones. Her chakra level was depleting and this guy seemed like he could take on all of Akatsuki on his own. But Sakura wouldn't give up that easily. She charged him again and after many misses was actually able to plant a hit on his face that sent him flying through a few trees.

He got up quickly and attacked her again. Sakura got back into her old habit of using ice shields to defend herself instead of her bare arms. Time became irrelevant as they both continued fighting and went deeper and deeper into the forest. Sakura wasn't as determined as Naruto or as prideful as Sasuke, so it didn't cost her so much to admit that there was no way she would be able to beat this guy.

Sakura was at her limit and she started to become careless. When the orange haired boy grabbed at her again, Sakura wasn't able to move away. His grip on her shoulders would surely cause bruises if not broken bones. Sakura was now face to face with him. As she looked into his eyes, Sakura felt her heart clench. This boy was no longer human. He was completely possessed by the need to kill. His humanity had been erased as a price for the amazing power he had.

His grip on her tightened and for a moment Sakura was sure that he was going to rip her in two. Then he suddenly loosened his grip. He blinked a few times and his curse mark started to recede. He fell to the floor unconscious. Sakura also fell to her knees and took a moment to catch her breath. She had no idea what had just happened but he was still breathing. So she got up and started to walk away from the boy.

Sakura wasn't sure how long she walked for but suddenly she was overwhelmed by exhaustion. She leaned against a tree and fell to the floor. Sakura made an effort to heal as much of her back as she could so she wouldn't die from blood lose. Once she thought the majority of her wounds were healed, Sakura allowed her hands to rest limply at her sides. Slowly her eyes closed and she allowed the darkness to swallow her.

* * *

><p><strong>Guess who Sakura was fighting? You guys better like this chapter because it was thanks to this that I forgot to post on a discussion for my ap psychology class :'( But I really enjoyed writing so it's alright.<strong>

**Should Sasuke make an appearance?**

**Please Review and let me know!**


	26. New Alliances

Chapter 26 New Alliances

"We can't allow our enemies to keep getting stronger and remain impassive about it," Danzo told the Hokage. Him, Tsunade, and the Elders were seated at a round table discussing village business...again.

"The Sand is no longer our enemy and we must not leave them in their time of need if we are to continue our alliance with them," Tsunade said...again. They had had this discussion two and a half weeks ago and she had made it very clear that she wanted to keep the Sand as an ally. Why Danzo didn't think it was a good idea was beyond her. Though it could be that he just wanted to go against everything she said.

"Of course we do," Danzo answered mockingly. "The last time we trusted them we lost our Hokage!"

"The Third's death was a true misfortune but that was mainly caused by Orochimaru. The Sand was a mere puppet in Orochimaru's hands. And if it's me you are worried about, I can assure you I can take care of myself," Tsunade said.

"We didn't come here to argue," Homura interjected. "We came here to discuss the sudden situation the Sand is in."

"What is there to discuss?" Utatane asked. "If we support the Sand, then we might as well declare war against Amegakure. It would be best to just stay out of the other villages' affairs."

"Amegakure brutally attacked the Sand in the middle of the night! How can you possible suggest that we just ignore something like that," Tsunade asked, outraged.

"It is not our problem, and as Hokage you would do well to not go looking for conflicts," Utatane replied.

"And we aren't even sure if it was Amegakura that attacked," Homura added. "They weren't wearing headbands. For all we know, it could have been a group of rogue ninja causing problems or looking for attention. It is also risky claiming such a thing without any proof of it."

"The ninja used one of Amegakure's most well known special techniques," Tsunade said. "What more proof do you need?"

"In order to start a war? A declaration of war from them first," Danzo answered her rhetorical question.

"We are not going to start a war," Tsunade firmly told them. "We are just going to send men and resources to the Sand to help them in their time of need."

"Konoha should stay out of this situation and let the Sand deal with its own problems," Homura said.

"The Sand is in a state of disarray," Tsunade told them. "They still don't have a Kazekage and are suffering from an economic depression. They can't afford to handle a situation this delicate on their own."

"That's exactly right," Danzo said. "This is a delicate situation. We shouldn't get involved."

"They are our allies," Tsuande said, raising her voice.

"Who betrayed us once already," Danzo repeated.

"I am not arguing over this," Tsunade said. "My decision has been made and it will stand." Both Danzo and the Elders looked at her shocked. "This meeting is over." And with that Tsunade walked out of the room leaving only the Elders and Danzo in the meeting hall.

Danzo let out a sigh and was about to stand up and get out of the room when he suddenly found himself pushed against the nearest wall and a strong grip on his throat. He blinked once to clear his vision and looked at his attacker. All he saw were red eyes with mitsudomoe.

"Itachi, let him go," Homura said as both he and Koharu stood up from their seats and stared at Itachi with wide eyes. Itachi didn't say anything but just tightened his grip on Danzo's throat.

"Itachi," Koharu warned.

"Did you two know about it?" Itachi asked them never taking his eyes of Danzo.

"About what?" Homura asked. Itachi's calm tone unsettled him. The Uchiha was beyond mad.

"The attack on Sand," Itachi supplied.

"Why would we have-"Homura started but stopped when realization hit him. He moved his gaze from Itachi to Danzo. "You were behind that?"

"Of course I wasn't," Danzo harshly responded.

"Don't lie," Itachi said. He was beyond furious. He knew Danzo would do anything in his power to be able to become Hokage but he didn't think he would resort to using people like Madara and Orochimaru. At least not so early on in the game.

"How could I possible have convinced Amegakure to attack the Sand?" Danzo asked.

"So it was Amegakure who attacked the Sand?" Itachi said mockingly. "I thought you weren't sure who did it?" Itachi was edging him on but he made sure to watch what he said. It wouldn't be too smart of him to give away Pein's location. He still wasn't completely sure if Danzo knew why it had been Amegakure to attack Sand. Itachi didn't know whether or not Danzo knew that Pein was there or if he thought that Amegakure was just a village Madara decided to use to help him. "What was he getting out of it?" Itachi asked him. Madara would never do anything for free.

"He?" Danzo asked.

"Don't dry my patience," Itachi warned, tightening his grip on his neck.

"I have no idea what your talking about," Danzo said again. He wasn't scared. Danzo knew that Itachi wouldn't kill him. But he was curious as to how much Itachi had discovered and how he had done it so quickly.

"Say what you want," Itachi said as he let go of Danzo's throat finally reining in his temper. "But do something like this again and there will be severe consequences to pay."

"I should be the one telling you that," Danzo shot at him. "Attacking me like that. Unforgivable," Danzo mumbled as he left the room without even glancing at the Elders.

"What in the world was that about?" Homura asked once Danzo was out of the room.

"Should have known it was to good to be true," he mumbled as he walked over to the window. It was even raining in Konoha. He let his mind wander as he looked down at the floor. This must have been right above the entrance to the Hokage's building because soon he saw a woman with long black hair and a black dress come out of the building. Noticing the rain, the woman promptly took out an umbrella and then started to head into the city. She stopped after she was a few feet away from the building. She turned around and looked up at the window that Itachi had been looking out off. Itachi could see her squinting her eyes but the rain and night kept him from being seen. After a few seconds the woman gave up and slowly started to walk away from the building. Itachi furrowed his eyebrows. The woman had mesmerizing blue eyes and a beautiful face. He had seen her before but couldn't place the face to an event or name. He watched her retreating form until she turned a corner and was out of his sight.

"Itachi," Koharu called out.

"Pein notified me this evening that Orochimaru had been spotted at a village on the outskirts of the Land of Fire. Because of the recent assassinations of our spies, I decided to take the opportunity to learn anything new. I sent Kakuzu, Hidan, and Sakura out to th-"

"Sakura?" Homura cut him off. "Why in the world would you send her out on such a dangerous mission?"

"I didn't know if it was a dangerous mission or not," Itachi said as he turned to face them. "It was supposed to be a simple one."

"Supposed to be?" Koharu asked.

"Orochimaru and Kabuto were there," Itachi explained. "Along with some of their...'experiments.' They were attacked and the village they were in was badly damaged, though I doubt Tsunade will hear about it."

"And your comrades?" Homura asked.

"Hidan and Kakuzu are fine. Upset that Orochimaru evaded them but physically fine."

"And the girl?" Koharu asked. Itachi didn't respond. "Don't tell me she's-"

"Not dead," Itachi interrupted her. "But she got separated from Hidan and Kakuzu during the fight and they haven't had much time to find her."

"Well hopefully your friends find her before someone else does," Homura commented as he took a seat at the table.

"So that was a distraction," Koharu asked as she also took a seat.

"Yes," Itachi answered them. "Danzo made a deal with Madara to get him to attack the Sand. Why the Sand or why any village overall, I'm still not sure." Itachi let out a sigh as he rubbed his temple with his thumb and index finger. "How badly were they hit?"

"No casualties, but many injuries and property damage," Homura dully told him.

"I think I'm going to get the Sand on my side," Itachi slowly said. He watched as both Homura and Koharu sat up and looked at him in shock.

"The Sand?" Homura asked, incredulous.

"How could you possible benefit from that?" Koharu added.

"We all know that sooner or later the Sand's council will come to their senses and allow Gaara to become Kazekage," he began. "It would be good to leave Sakura with some more support." He had expected them to start yelling and arguing with him and wasn't at all surprised when Homura started to try. What surprised him was that Koharu stayed silent and kept observing him. "Something on your mind?" he asked her, ignoring Homaru's arguments.

"You told us that training Haruno Sakura was almost like your insurance that everything would work out once you were no longer here," she began. "But the way your planning everything makes me wonder that there is something more to it then that. You keep planning as if you are positive that Sasuke will learn the truth or that he will simply come after the village once your dead. I'm just curious if there is something that your not telling us that would make you believe so many precautions were actually necessary."

Itachi looked at her for a long time before he answered. "I've learned to expect the unexpected," he answered, and then promptly left the room. Itachi walked down the halls as quickly as possible. He didn't need to look back to know what the Elder's faces were like. It took him little effort to change his appearance to the one he used to go to the market. He knew it would be best to choose a different one but he had come to like this appearance.

All to soon was he at the foot of the stairs looking out into the pouring rain. He ran his hand through his hair as he debated on what he should do. He was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the woman coming up beside him. "Need some help?" It took Itachi a few minutes before he registered the voice. He looked to his right and found a woman standing next to him. She was wearing a simple black dress with long sleeves and her long black hair was let down. Itachi stared into her blue eyes before he noticed the woman shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

"Sorry, what was that?" he managed to get out.

"I was asking if you needed help," the woman repeated kindly. "Doubt you want to walk home in the rain."

"I'm fine," Itachi said dismissively. He wasn't trying to be rude but he knew that the less contact he had with people the better.

"Come on," the woman repeated, though she was probably around his age, "I saw you in my apartment building the other day so we're both going in the same direction." Itachi tensed a little when she mentioned that and he was instantly suspicious of the woman. She remembered him. Was she some kind of spy that Madara or Orochimaru had sent after him? He gently touched her mind but found no signs of deception.

"I'll be fine," he repeated. She pouted and her shoulders slumped. For some reason, that made Itachi want to smirk. She was acting like a child.

"Your not about to let a young woman walk home all along at this late hour, are you?" she asked innocently. Itachi furrowed his eyebrows. Why was this woman so bent on him walking with her? Was she so worried about him? He felt Homura coming down the stairs and found himself between a rock and a hard place.

"Alright," he gave in. The black haired woman smiled up at him. She was almost a head shorter than him. Itachi quickly took the umbrella from her hands and started walking beside her towards the village. He felt Homura's disappointment and confusion once he reached the door but ignored it.

"My name is Rin," the woman said as they started a slow pace. "Itachi," Itachi quickly answered. He mentally cursed himself for not having prepared an alias ahead of time.

"Well, Itachi, are you a ninja?" Rin asked him. For someone who's name meant cold, Rin was very happy and carefree.

"No," Itachi responded. Rin seemed to be expecting him to go on but Itachi kept his mouth shut. He had already risked a lot talking to this woman.

"Not very talkative are we?" Rin asked as she looked ahead at the rain. He looked her up and down. Maybe her name meant she couldn't feel cold because her dress was thin and reached two inches above her knees. "So what do you do?" Rin asked.

Itachi refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Used to be a ninja though now I am unable to continue." Itachi knew that this girl wouldn't stop asking him if he didn't give her something. Rin was suddenly very quiet as she looked down at the ground.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Rin whispered. Itachi barely heard her over the rain beating down on the roofs and could feel her sadness and it unnerved him. His more caring side was starting to come out.

"Don't worry about it," Itachi told her. "Desk work isn't so bad." Rin looked back up at him and smiled. She could probably tell that he was just humoring her.

"You work in the Hokage building then?"

"Yes," Itachi said. He would get Sakura to add his names to some file in case she decided to look him up. _Sakura..._ His worry came back to him at the reminder of his student out in the woods somewhere getting soaked to the bone.

"I've never seen you around," Rin said. "I work there too."

"I do most of my work at home," Itachi told her. He had forgotten how nerve wracking it was to go undercover. Having to watch every word that came out of your mouth was tiresome.

"How interesting," Rin said as she studied him. Itachi glanced at her and hoped that Sakura's apartment wasn't much farther. "So, what apartment do you live in?" She asked.

"Do you always ask so many questions?" Itachi asked, a bit annoyed.

"Did you know that only an idiot answers a question with a question?" Rin said. Itachi saw her cross her arms over her chest and wrinkle her nose. He had a huge urge to laugh at her.

"So we're both idiots," Itachi stated. Rin furrowed her eyebrows in confusion then her eyes widened when she realized what he meant.

"You're a real jerk," she said as she faced forward.

"Don't act like I was the one that wanted to accompany you," Itachi shot back.

"Yeah, if only I hadn't forgotten to finish my paperwork, I wouldn't have had to come back here." So she had been the woman that he saw up from the conference room.

"More like if you had just let me be, you wouldn't have to deal with me," Itachi said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Shut up," Rin said as she started to pick up the pace. Itachi was tempted to keep his slow pace and let her get wet but he needed to get home soon anyway. They walked the next few blocks in silence with only the rain making any noise. Itachi couldn't help but smirk. She acted like such a child.

"Wonder why it suddenly started raining like this," Rin mumbled after a few minutes.

Itachi inwardly sighed. It seemed like she just couldn't keep quiet. But she did have a point. It had been a fairly clear day up until an hour or so. And then it wasn't just a bit of a shower it was pouring at first. And even now it was still raining pretty hard.

"Wonder if someone died," Rin whispered as she looked up at the sky. Itachi followed her gaze and hoped with all his might that that wasn't the case.

"It's strange," Itachi whispered. Both of them suddenly came to a stop and stared up at the sky.

"This is creeping me out for some reason," Rin said as she rubbed her arms. She was right. This rain had an eery feeling to it.

"Let's go," Itachi said as he started walking again. Rin was more than happy to obey. They soon reached the apartment building where Rin and Sakura lived. Without a word, Itachi followed Rin up to her apartment. Once they were at her door Rin took the umbrella from him and smiled.

"Thanks for the company," she said sweetly.

"Thanks for the shelter," Itachi told her. Rin giggled and then suddenly leaned towards him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hopefully I'll see you around again, Itachi," Rin then quickly opened her door and stepped in, giving Itachi one last smile before she closed the door.

Itachi leaned back against the wall opposite of the door that Rin had just gone through. Itachi couldn't remember the last time some one had kissed him. Even if it was only on the cheek. It felt weird and forgein. But it seemed like he would have to make a few more appearances to Rin if he didn't want her to start suspecting something and asking questions.

Itachi pushed himself of the wall and started walking down the hallway and up two more fleets of stairs. When he entered the apartment, he released the transformation jutsu. He went over everything that had happened and decided that he hadn't put himself in harm. He just needed to make sure that he didn't slip up the next time he saw her.

And,as he began going through all of hid preparations, he ignored the fact that he didn't say _if _he saw her again...


	27. Nightmares 2

Chapter 27 Nightmares 2

Song: Before the Dawn by Evanescence

The cold rain kept beating down on the ground. The sky was covered in thick clouds and it wouldn't surprise anyone if thunder and lightning suddenly lit up the night. Yet the lighting might actually be benefited by the villagers of a small town on the borders of the Fire Country.

It was the middle of the night and yet people were moving in every direction and busy trying to find shelter for all of the people that had been left without homes in the sudden attack that had occurred. The villagers knew that by living so close to the border of their country that they ran the risk of being in the crossfire if a war were to occur or if rivaling ninja were to meet up here.

But they hadn't been expecting this. A third of their city had been destroyed and the most urgent thing was to find shelter for all of the people in need. The attackers had taken their fight elsewhere and for that the villagers were grateful. Their only worry was that they might come back.

But their worries were in vain. The fight was over. And in the forest lay a body. The clothes were drenched from the rain, torn from the fight, and stained with blood from cuts. But they were still unaware of their surroundings. The cold rain didn't wake them from the nightmares that were haunting their minds. As the minutes started to become an hour, the body became more aware of it's surroundings.

The young boy started to awaken. One thing he was certain of was that he had lost control of his curse mark again. His mind was clouded and it took him a few seconds before he registered the rain pelting down on his worn out body. He slowly tried to push himself of the ground, checking to see how badly injured he was. Other than a few bruises he didn't sense any major injuries. And even if he had any that wouldn't stop him.

Once he was on his feet, he looked around to see if he could determine where he was and try to get back to Orochimaru but Juugo didn't know any of his surroundings. So he aimlessly started walking through the forest. He payed no attention to the throbbing in his arms or the chill the rain caused him. He had faced worse, far worse. He was interested to know who had caused him injuries but his mind was to fogged to think straight and he honestly didn't care. All he cared about was returning to Orochimaru and continuing to do what Kimimaro had begun.

His feet carried him away from the spot where the seal must have unactivated. As he turned yet another tree, a strange color on the forest floor caught his attention. How in the world could pink ever blend in with the dark and muddy ground? He stared at the girl that was obviously wounded. Her clothe, like his, were drenched from the rain. Bruises were already forming on her arms and legs. He felt her chakra level low. She must have been in a fight. But was she a comrade or foe? No, he would remember someone with pink hair around the hideout. Then he remembered that that was the girl he had been fighting back in the village.

Juugo hesitated a moment and then walked over to the unconscious girl. He thought about taking out a kunai but decided against it. His bare hands would be more than enough with this girl. Once the girl was at his feet, he knelt down.

Juugo reached out towards her neck. It would take only a minute or two to choke the last bit of energy she had. But Juugo froze with his hand only a few inches away from her neck when he felt another presence behind him. He didn't bother to look back. Juugo knew who it was. He waited a few seconds to see if the person would give him an order but no sound came from the dark aura.

His fingertips were able to graze her skin when one word came out of her mouth: "Sasuke." The word was barely audible to even Juugo's ears. He thought nothing of it; the prospect of killing the girl taking over him.

"Let's go." The voice was hard and broke the silence in the forest. Juggo heard the command in his voice but was far to disappointed to actually allow his brain to function with the normal questions, like why. Without another word and one longing glance at the girl on the floor, Juugo rose to his feet and followed the other person away from the girl.

* * *

><p>"Hey I found her!"<p>

Sakura flinched at the loud sound that intruded her thoughts. She slowly started to open her eyes but then quickly closed them when water entered them. Someone shook her shoulder. "Yo, are you alive," the same voice asked. Sakura grumbled a bit hoping that silence would envelope her again soon.

She felt the hard, damp floor leave her body and two strong arms were holding her. She didn't open her eyes and she didn't try to find out who the voice belonged to. Her mind was swimming with dreams that she wanted to return to.

_Deep, black eyes kept glancing towards her as they all walked down the streets of Konoha. Sakura could see him looking at her. She knew what he msut be thinking. All of the kids at school would make fun of her because of her pink hair. It was a very unusual color. She knew that. "So, Sakura," Itachi asked as he walked in between the two children, "your one of Sasuke's classmates, right?"_

_"Yeah," Sakura answered. She had seen Sasuke around many times but usually she didn't go near him since he was always surrounded by those preppy girls that made fun of her. All she knew about Sasuke was that he was really smart._

_"Haruno?" Itachi mused. "Your second in the class, no?" Sakura blushed a little and nodded. "Wow, you sure are smart."_

_"Not as smart as Sasuke-san," Sakura told him._

_"Just Sasuke is fine," the young boy told her._

_"Well, it is pretty hard to beat Sasuke," Itachi said. "He studies too much." Itachi playfully ruffled Sasuke's hair. Sasuke tried to look annoyed with him but Sakura could see a small smile on his face and a light blush adorning his cheeks because of the compliment._

_"I'm sure he does," Sakura said. "He's also the top of our class in ninja arts."_

_"And how are you in that department," Itachi asked._

_"I'm not that great," Sakura said as she looked down at her feet._

_"Don't worry about it," Itachi said. "I'm sure you'll improve over the years."_

_"He's right," Sasuke answered as he looked over at her. "You just need to train more."_

_"Thanks," Sakura said and gave him a big smile._

"She's pretty beat up," a blonde male said. "No wonder Itachi hadn't wanted Hidan or Kakuzu to go and look for her," he mused. The person beside him stayed silent as they ran through the forest. "Come on, Kisame," Deidara said. "Don't turn into a sulking Uchiha." Again Kisame said nothing.

_Sakura was seated on the ground watching as Itachi jumped up into the air and easily threw all the kunais so that they would hit the various targets. Even the one behind the rock. Once he landed back on his feet, he looked over at Sasuke. "Don't be so frustrated if you can't get it right away," Itachi said. "It took me a while to get it right." Sasuke didn't say anything but jut kept glaring at nothing in particular._

_For some reason unknown to Sakura, she found Sasuke to be really cute when he was upset like that. Sasuke always acted older than he really was just to get Itachi's approval. It made Sakura want to laugh at how childish he sometimes acted. He had his hands crossed over his chest and his lower lip was sticking out a little in a pout. Itachi ruffled his long raven hair. "Why don't we head back?" he asked. "Ready to go, Saki?"_

_Sakura jumped down from the trunk and nodded her head vigorously._

* * *

><p>Slowly, Sakura became aware that she was no longer on a wet forest floor or suspended in midair. A weight was on her and it kept her body warm. She soon felt bandages wrapped on different parts of her body and she felt how sore her muscles were. Her clothes and hair were no longer damp and she was chilled to the bone by the cold water.<p>

"Her fever finally broke," a voice near her said.

"She should be waking up soon," another voice said.

"No one find another body, yet?" That voice she recognized instantly. It was Itachi. Sakura felt her throat too dry to speak so she reached out to him with her mind. _"Itachi,"_ she called out. "Sakura?" Itachi questioned out loud. She heard hurried footsteps coming her way. Slowly, Saura opened her eyes and was glad to see that there wasn't any bright light to hurt her eyes. Sakura looked up at Itachi's worried face.

_"How long have I been out?"_ Sakura asked.

"Only a few hours is our guess," Itachi answered out loud. Sakura looked away from Itachi and towards the other faces in the room. She recognized Kisame leaning against the far wall but she didn't know who the blonde was. _"Hidan and Kakuzu?"_ she asked. "Fine," he answered. He looked over at the blonde and he left the room. Her room. Sakura stared up at the ceiling for a few moments. Sakura heard the door open and close. "Here, drink this," Itachi said. He moved his hand on her back and helped her sit up. Sakura was only vaguely aware of the cool water running down her dry throat. "You can go now, Deidara," Itachi said without looking at him. No more words were exchanged before Sakura felt Deidara's presence disappear.

Sakura wasn't even aware that the glass wasn't against her lips anymore or that Itachi had removed his hand. She kept replaying one moment in her head. Was it a memory or a dream? Had she been so injured or so sure that she was going to die that her mind had conjured up that scene? But if it had been her mind playing tricks on her, then she wouldn't be alive right now.

"Sakura," Itachi called out. Sakura blinked a few times then looked up at him. "I know you need your rest but there have been new complications."

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"The Sand was attacked," Itachi said. Sakura's mind, still foggy from her sleep and preoccupied with her own thoughts, took awhile to finally understand what Itachi had said.

"By who?" Sakura asked, getting out of her daze.

"Tsunade believes it was Amegakure but I believe that, though it was ninjas from Amegakure, it was Danzo who set this whole thing up," Itachi explained. "Tsunade is sending aid to the Sand and the Elders have already agreed to put you and Team 10 on this mission."

"Why?" Sakura questioned.

"Because," Itachi began and glanced over at Kisame, "I want to tell Gaara the truth."

"Gaara?"

"Because he is a jinchuriki, he will be dragged into this conflict one way or another," Itachi said. "And I believe he might be a good candidate to become the next Kazekage." Sakura studied Itachi for a few moments before looking down at the sheets.

"Why do you want Team 10 to go?"

"Chunin exams are coming up," was the only answer he gave. Sakura didn't respond. The bit of adrenaline that she had gotten from the news of having a new mission was slowly dying away. She was being consumed by her former thoughts again. But this time, something in the back of her head was tugging at her. She didn't know what it meant but her eye lids were getting heavy even though she didn't feel tired.

"Itachi," she heard herself saying, "I'm still really tired. Mind if I sleep for a little longer?" Sakura wasn't really waiting for an answer. She lay down on her side and drew the blankets up around her. She barely registered Itachi's whispered "okay" before she felt sleep take over her body.

* * *

><p>She felt herself moving through corridors. She had no idea where she was but she let herself be guided by the tugging feeling she still had. The place she was in made shivers run up and down her spine. The place was poorly built and she could tell that it couldn't hold anymore than the basic necessities to live, if it gave even that. Sakura didn't even try to remember which way she had come from.<p>

Her floating body stopped in front of a door. And then she knew why she was here. On the other side of the door, she could feel Sasuke's presence. She remembered how it had been when she last dreamed about Sasuke but now she was beginning to think that it was more than just a simple dream.

Sakura walked straight through the wooden door. The room was even more poorly lit than the hallways had been. Sakura waited a moment and her eyes quickly adjusted to the light. There was only a small bed on the far side of the room. She moved towards it.

And there he was. Sasuke was sleeping on the bed. But Sakura could feel his uneasiness. She saw sweat beating down his face and the single blanket he had was at his feet. He kept moving and trembling in his sleep. Sakura felt how bad the nightmare must have been from Sasuke's fear. She slowly moved forward and sat on the edge of the bed. She saw her translucent hand reach over to him and touch his forehead.

_Meet me after dark again_  
><em>And I'll hold you<em>

She wanted to push some of the hair away from his sweaty face but her hand went right through him. She still smiled a little. He hadn't changed that much and she was happy to see him again. Though she wished that she could do something about his nightmares.

_I want nothing more_  
><em>Than to see you there<em>

Sakura bit her bottom lip debating whether she should try and read his mind or not. He looked so pained in his dream and he kept moving around. Sakura saw his lips moving as if he was saying something but no sound came out. She closed her eyes and went into his mind.

_Sakura saw a younger version of Sasuke spiraled on the floor. She noticed that drool was coming out of his mouth as his eyes stared in front of him. They were in a large room that was empty except for the people and the corpses. In the middle of the room were a man and a woman. They were both on the floor and unmoving. A pool of blood was quickly spreading below them. Standing above them was a man Sakura had come to know far too well. Sakura herself felt a shiver of fear run down her spine as she saw how menacing Itachi looked._

_"Get up!" Someone yelled beside her. Sakura jumped a little and turned her attention back to Sasuke. But this time, the older Sasuke was standing above his younger version. "Fight him!" Sasuke screamed at the little boy on the floor. "It's your fault they died!" he yelled and then fell to his knees on the floor._

_Everything around them went black except for the older Sasuke. "You weren't strong enough," a voice that Sakura knew to be Orochimaru's said. "You need more power." She watched as the scene from when Orochimaru gave Sasuke the curse mark played out on the black surface._

_"You don't have enough hate, little brother," Itachi's cold voice said. Sakura saw Sasuke tremble at the sound of his brother's voice. "And you know what," the voice said again. Above Sasuke, Sakura saw Itachi holding Sasuke up against a wall. Blood was trickling down from Sasuke's mouth while Itachi choked him and whispered into his ear, "You never will."_

_"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled at the blackness. He took his head between his hands. "Leave me alone!"_

_Sakura hadn't noticed that her entire body had been trembling with fear. She didn't notice the tears sliding down her face. All she noticed was the pain in her chest from seeing Sasuke so broken._

Sakura escaped his mind and watched him struggle with himself.

_If only night could hold you_  
><em>Where I can see you,<em>  
><em>My love<em>

Sasuke continued to mumble incoherent thoughts as his limbs occasionally trembled. Sakura placed her hand right over his forehead. She leaned down so her lips were right next to his ear. "Sasuke," she whispered. She pushed into his mind again so her words might reach him. "It's okay," she said. "It wasn't your fault. No one can hurt you now." She heard Sasuke's breathing slow down and his body relaxed into the bed. "Everything is all right," Sakura whispered to him.

_Somehow I know that we can't_  
><em>Wake again from this dream<em>

Quickly looking over all of the memories she had with Sasuke, she chose some random ones to put into his head. Like the time they all stayed outside and stared up at the stars. Or the time they took their team picture. "You're not alone," she whispered.

_It's not real but it's ours_  
><em>Maybe tonight<em>  
><em>We'll fly so far away<em>  
><em>We'll be lost<em>  
><em>Before the dawn<em>

Sakura stood up from her seat on her bed. She waited a few moments to make sure Sasuke wouldn't go back to his nightmares and then walked over towards the door. "Sakura." Sakura froze. She hadn't imagined that, but it had been so faint she hardly heard it. She was about to turn around to see if Sasuke was awake or not but before she could, she was back in her body, on her bed.

"Hey, sleepy head," Itachi said as he saw her eyes flutter open. Sakura slowly sat up and stared down at the bed. "What's up with you?" he asked her taking a seat next to her. "You haven't been yourself. Did something happen?"

Sakura moved her gaze to lock eyes with Itachi. "Take me to the Uchiha compound," Sakura demanded.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry that it tok so long to update but I've hardly had anytime to do anything that didn't involve school work. <strong>**Next week I have CST's so maybe I'll have enough time to write the next chapter. But I promise that the next one will be much longer. **

**Please review! It inspire me to write more :D  
><strong>


	28. The Uchiha Compound

**Okay, so this chapter is going to have a lot of parts straight out of the manga. Please bare with me here. There are some original parts in here. **  
><strong>Simpleted: Thank you for the review and it really made my day to hear that. I know how good a story has to be to make me want to read it all in one night so that meant a lot. And I always fear I'm moving too quickly so it's nice to hear that you think its at a good pace. <strong>  
><strong>Creedassasin:In order to get more reviews, the readers have to put in a small amount of time and energy ;) Thank you for the review!<strong>

**This chapter is dedicated to simpleted and creedassasin :D  
><strong>

Chapter 28 The Uchiha Compound

Song: _Numb by Linkin Park_ and **_Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars_**

"Why in the world would you want to go to the Uchiha compound?" Itachi asked. Sakura was shocked. She had never heard Itachi's voice so flat, so lifeless. His dark eyes suddenly became ice cold. She couldn't feel anything from his mind, not even his emotions. He had completely blocked her out. Sakura knew that she had made a mistake. She shouldn't have asked him so bluntly. But that didn't mean she would turn back now.

"I know how to release the genjutsu from the journals," Sakura said, in a steady voice. There was no change in Itachi's expression as he continued to stare at her. "And in order to repay the person who helped me I need to go to the Uchiha compound."

"No," Itachi said. His voice left no doubt that that was his final word on the matter, but Itachi didn't know how stubborn Sakura could be.

"I need to go there," Sakura said. "I'm part of the Uchiha Clan, too."

"Your not going, and I'm not taking you," Itachi repeated. "And that is the end of this conversation."

"No, it isn't," Sakura said as she stood up. "I need to keep my word!"

"If your going to be a ninja, you should learn now that you can't always do that."

"I realize that," Sakura told him. "But that doesn't mean that I won't even try! This promise I can keep!"

"No you cannot," Itachi told her, his voice growing steadily louder and more angry. Sakura drew hope from the simple fact that they were finally starting to get somewhere. The fact that Itachi was losing enough of his cool to let _any _type of emotion out of him was proving to her that she might have a chance to break him.

"Itachi, we both now that this is more than just keeping a promise," Sakura said. "I need to know what happened!"

Itachi looked away from her. Sakura stared at him. It wasn't until that moment that she realized just how accustomed she had become to sensing people's emotions. She couldn't feel anything from Itachi and that made her all the more nervous.

"Trust me," Itachi said above a whisper. "You truly don't want to know."

"Do I not want to know or do you not want to show me?" Sakura asked. Sakura walked over to him and sat on her knees on the floor. She looked up at his dark obsidian eyes. They were devote of any emotion and she didn't know if she really wanted to see what he had undergone in order to be able to hide all of his emotions behind a veil of freezing uncaring.

Sakura didn't want to hurt him. She had no idea what it was like to be on the other side of a family's destruction. But that was the reason she wanted to go. Sakura wanted to learn what he went through, what he was going through. He had spent five years keeping all of those emotions bottled up inside. She had just spent the last few weeks trying to overcome the dark emptiness she held ever since Itachi had entered her life. No, not even that early on. Ever since Sasuke left the village that night. She had lost everything she knew to be the truth. Everything had been ripped away from her. She had been thrust into a world that was filled with hatred, revenge, and betrayal. Sakura could have put on a strong face in front of Itachi but there were days she just wanted to give up on everything.

But she wasn't going to give up on him.

Sakura took both his hands in hers. "Please," she whispered. "Let me help; let me in. I need to know what happened." Itachi stared at her and Sakura wasn't able to decipher what he was thinking. "You shouldn't have to bear this weight on your shoulders alone. Not after everything you've done for us."

Minutes started to tick away and Sakura couldn't help but feel her heart crushed with pain. Could it have been so horrible that he wasn't capable of sharing it with anyone? Itachi suddenly stood up and walked towards the glass doors that lead out to the balcony. Sakura turned her body so that she was looking at him. "Go change," Itachi said. His voice was still stern but Sakura suddenly felt his mind's presence, meaning he had let his guard down again.

In less than a second, Sakura jumped to her feet and ran to her drawers. She grabbed the first outfit she thought would be appropriate for this event and then ran to the bathroom to change. Itachi didn't move or turn to look at her even when she had already returned from the bathroom. Sakura was in a pair of black khaki capris and a black shirt that had a V-neck and sleeves that covered three-fourths of her arms. Itachi kept staring out at the cloud infested sky. "Are you sure?" he finally asked her. Sakura looked at him.

"Positive," she answered. Itachi nodded absentmindedly.

"Let's go," he said. Sakura saw him use a transformation jutsu. Now Itachi had short black hair and just slightly different facial features. He walked past her and out of the apartment. Sakrua walked beside him as she prepared herself for whatever Itachi decided to show her. They walked down the streets of Konoha in silence. Even though it was morning, very few people were outside of their homes today. They turned onto the street that would make them pass by the Police Force.

_Suddenly Sakura was not seeing the gloomy empty street in front of her; she was seeing a much more clear, sunny version of the street with people walking by. Sakura turned to look at Itachi but instead of seeing the man with short hair, she saw a young Itachi walking with an eight-year-old Sasuke on his back. Sakura's heart clenched as she remembered Sasuke's nightmares. Sakura walked beside them, close enough to hear what they were saying. "This is where our father works, right?" the young Sasuke asked as he looked up at the previous P.F. Itachi stopped walking and looked up at the building._

_"This is the headquarters of the Leaf's Police Force," Itachi explained. Sakura noted how much calmer and joyous he was._

_"I was also wondering," Sasuke began, "why does the police force have our clan's symbol?"_

_"What, you knew about that?" Itachi asked._

_"Of course," Sasuke said, a little insulted. Itachi smiled at his brother's reaction._

_"Well, to make it simple," Itachi explained, "It has been said that the guy who made this organization was our ancestor. That's why they put the clan's emblem as the symbol of this place. Our clan protected the order of this village from long ago. Our emblem is also the mark of an honorable clan. The Uchiha clan hasn't decreased, but..." Sakura felt the slightest hesitation in Itachi's voice and the slight twitch of his lips. "Almost all of us are working for the first division of the Force and participating in keeping the order of the village." Sakura knew that to anyone else it would have sounded as if Itachi was merely stating a fact, and he was. The problem was that he knew no one in the Uchiha clan was proud of that fact. "The only one's who can enforce the laws on other shinobi's crime," Itachi said as he looked back at Sasuke, "are superior shinobi."_

_"Are you going to come here too?" Sasuke asked._

_"Hmm, maybe," Itachi answered, nonchalantly._

_"You should!" Sasuke exclaimed. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows at hearing Sasuke's eager tone. Itachi also seemed unsettled by the statement. "When I grow up, I'm going to join the Police Force too!" Sasuke said, excited. Sakura let out a sad smile. She still wasn't used to the innocent and cheerful Sasuke. "For tomorrow's entrance ceremony, my dad's gonna come too," Sasuke said. "It'll be the first step to realizing my dream."_

_"Yeah," Itachi said after a bit of hesitation that did not go unnoticed by Sakura_.

Sakura found herself back in front of the Force's building. But this time she let one of her own memories wash over her.

_Kakashi stared at Naruto after he announced that he wanted to be the Hokage. "Hobbies? Pranks, I guess," Naruto answered. It was their first time meeting their sensei and he had told them to say things about themselves._

_Kakashi looked over at Sasuke. "Next," he stated._

_Sasuke had his elbows on his knees with his fingers laced in front of his face. He stared ahead of him, not really looking like he wanted to talk to anyone. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha," he stated. "There are tons of things I dislike but I don't really like anything." Sasuke's voice was cold and now it reminded her a little of how Itachi sounded. "And... I don't want to use the word 'dream' but...I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and...To kill a certain man."_

Sakura shock her head. How could she have thought that Sasuke saying those words were in anyway 'cool'? She really had been an ignorant, shallow girl when she had started off with Team 7. _Sasuke was right,_ she thought. _I truly didn't know anything._ Sasuke's young and bright dreams had been changed so drastically.

A wave of sadness and remorse crushed against her. She turned around and saw Itachi still staring up at the Uchiha emblem. Without verbal agreement, they both started to walk away from the building and further down the street. Sakura kept glancing around the village as they kept on walking.

"From the very beginning, Sasuke wanted to surpass me," Itachi said. Sakura looked over at him, a bit startled by his voice in the silent street. "Our father always paid more attention to me and ignored Sasuke. I knew that it hurt him. I doubt he ever really knew how much I didn't want the attention." Sakura was overwhelmed by Itachi's remorse. He loved Sasuke. That much was obvious to her from the start. He had never really mentioned anything at all about what they had been like when they were younger. "My father pushed me to be the best I could be since I was old enough to be able to control chakra. And that was long before any of the other kids could."

_I'm tired of being what you want me to be_  
><em>Feeling so faithless, lost under the surface<em>

"I was raised to do whatever my father said. His word was law. He would train me until I collapsed. Nothing but perfection was ever allowed, and, even then, there were always higher levels one could achieve."

_Don't know what your expecting of me_  
><em>Put under the pressure of walking in your shoes<em>

"I knew that my father was the leader of our clan and that everyone expected great things from me. I was to always be first; the perfect son. It was my duty to carry the Uchiha name with pride and honor." Itachi's voice sounded as if he was simply reading off of a piece of paper. He detached himself from the situation, but Sakura could still feel the turmoil of his emotions. "He pushed me to be the best out of everyone. Even when I was the youngest person to ever graduate from the academy, it wasn't enough for him.

"Sasuke was young but he was no fool. He knew perfectly well the our father didn't care much for him. He knew that I was favored and everyone compared him to me with everything he did. And yet, even with his clever mind, he still couldn't keep himself from forming that ounce of hope that maybe if he tried really hard and did his best at everything that maybe then our father would acknowledge him. Sasuke only set himself up for disappointment time and time again. And I was left to follow my father's orders no matter if it hurt my foolish little brother."

_Can't you see that your smothering me_  
><em>Holding me tightly, afraid to lose control<em>

_Sasuke and Itachi were walking towards a gate that had the Uchiha emblem on the two pieces of material that hung above them. From beside the gate, one man stepped out. Fugaku stood there with his hands crossed over his chest. He was wearing the Force's uniform. Fugaku's face was set with thin lines that made people aware of his age and yet of his power. His face was hard set and he seemed displeased. "Your late," he stated, not bothering to greet his two sons. "What were you doing? I've got something to tell you," he continued, not giving Itachi any time to respond. "We have to hurry back." Sakura didn't fail to notice that he didn't bother to ask what had happened to Sasuke, if he was alright. He didn't seem to care either. _

_"Yes," Itachi simply replied as he carried his brother through the Uchiha compound. _

_Sasuke and Itachi were seated with their legs tucked under them and hands placed firmly on their knees. Fugaku was seated a few feet in front of them, legs crossed, and hands crossed over his chest again. "That's my boy," Fugaku said with a 'smile' on his face. Sakura felt uncomfortable seeing that man smile. It was an arrogant smile. As if his dog had just won first place in some competition. And that was probably exactly how he felt. Itachi was no more than a pawn to that man. _

_Cause everything you've thought I would be _  
><em>Has fallen right in front of you<em>

_"You've gotten this far in half a year since you've become a chunin," Fugaku continued to praise his son. Either he didn't notice or he didn't care that Itachi stared at the floor in front of him, indifferent to his father's compliments. Sakura saw Sasuke give his brother a confused look. The kid was probably wondering why his brother didn't enjoy something that he had been striving for so hard. "For tomorrow's special mission, I've decided to come along." Sasuke and Itachi looked up at their father, shocked. _But isn't the ceremony tomorrow?_ Sakura thought to herself. "If this mission is successful, you're enlistment into the Anbu will be official." Itachi didn't say anything. He just kept staring, almost glaring, at his father. "Do you understand?" Fugaku asked as he activated his Sharingan. Itachi didn't even flinch._

_"Don't worry about it too much," Itachi said, as if being accepted into the Anbu wasn't a big deal. Though for the Uchiha's plans, it was one of their major plays. _

_Every step that I take is another mistake to you_  
><em>And every second I waste, is more than I can take<em>

_"However," Itachi said as he looked over to Sasuke. Sakura smiled a little as Sasuke blushed a bit. _

_"Erm, Dad?" Sasuke asked timidly. "For tomorrow's-"_

_"Our mission tomorrow will become a very important event for our clan," Fugaku said, cutting of his son. Sasuke looked down at the floor, giving up any hope of his father paying him any attention. 'Sasuke set himself up for disappointment time and time again,' Itachi's words sounded in Sakura's head.  
><em>

_"Then I guess I'll have to drop tomorrow's mission," Itachi stated. Sakura stared at Itachi, shocked, along with the other members of the Uchiha clan. _

_"What are you insane!" Fugaku screamed out. "You know how crucial tomorrow is! What's going on with you!"_

_"I'm going to Sasuke's entrance ceremony into the Ninja Academy," Itachi stated._ Itachi,_ Sakura thought with a sad smile. Sasuke glanced over at his brother. Fugaku also stared blankly at Itachi until he looked away. "The entrance ceremony usually requires one's relative to come along," Itachi said with a smile. "Surely you've gotten the notice?"_

_"I understand," Fugaku said as he stood up. "I'll go to the academy." _

_As the three Uchiha members left the room, Fugaku walked ahead of them. Itachi turned to look at Sasuke, "Hey, keep that left leg cooled down," he said. _

_"Yeah," Sasuke simply replied. _

They walked in silence for a few moments. Sakura was trying to analyze all of the pieces of that memory. Fugaku had complete control over his children. Or, at least, that was what he thought. Itachi hadn't been exaggerating when he said that their father paid little to no attention to Sasuke. "I can't wrap my head around it," Sakura said. Itachi looked over at her, confused.

"Around what?" he asked.

"How can a father use his own children as pawns in a game that has the lives of so many on the line?"

"Don't," Itachi told her. Now it was Sakura giving him a confused look.

"Don't what?"

"Don't try to understand them," Itachi said. "It'll drive you closer to the line of insanity than you ever want to be." Sakura felt his anger and...intrigue. He definitely knew what he was talking about. "And you still won't find the answer," he said, as an afterthought.

"The mission was a success?" Sakura asked, though she knew the answer.

_Itachi was back in that room with his father seated in front of him. He had just gone over his acceptance into Anbu. "As expected from my child," Fugaku said, with that arrogant smile back in place. "Entering the Anbu squad, I knew I could trust you with my heart." Sakura saw a small shadow reflected across the paper-thin doors._

"Here we are," Itachi said as they both stood in front of a battered down gate. Plants had grown along the stone wall. Yellow paper that had aged and ripped through the years was still placed over the closed doors to the compound. The gate that had once been the doorway to the most powerful clan in Konoha was now shattered and broken, only foreshadowing what one would find inside. Itachi stood there, looking at the doors with his hands in his pockets.

"Have you been here since..." Sakura let her sentence trail off, knowing that Itachi knew what she was asking.

"No," was his whispered reply.

They both continued to look up at the gates, neither daring to go inside. "Sasuke pushed himself. Even on his days off from the Academy, he would go off and train until he collapsed from exhaustion. He was trying so hard just to be acknowledged by our father." Itachi's voice had grown reproachful near the end of his sentence.

"They are so similar," Sakura whispered before she realized she was speaking out loud.

"Who?" Itachi asked.

"Naruto and Sasuke," Sakura said after a bit of hesitation. "Since the day I met Naruto, he was always talking about how he wanted to surpass the Hokage and have the entire village acknowledge his power, his worth. They both just wanted to be reassured that their lives had meaning behind them. That they weren't just alive but that they were living their lives. How could they have not seen that?"

"I don't know if they didn't," Itachi said. "Maybe Sasuke was just to stubborn to admit it and Naruto didn't know how to explain it to Sasuke or even himself."

"Why wouldn't he ever acknowledge him?" Sakura thought. "He should have seen how desperately Sasuke needed it. Wouldn't he have thought that if he supported Sasuke that he would grow stronger? And then be another pawn in his game?"

"He had complete trust in me back then," Itachi answered. "He didn't think Sasuke would ever be at my level so he didn't even try with him. Well, until he became suspicious, he didn't give Sasuke a second look."

_Itachi was seated in front of both his mother and father. "What!" his father exclaimed. "You should know well what kind of day tomorrow is! You don't understand where your position is," Fugaku stated. Both parents looked sternly at their son._

_"Tomorrow I have a mission to do," Itachi told them. Sakura felt a tug at her mind and she turned towards the door. A small crack allowed her to see Sasuke watching the ordeal._

_"What mission?" Fugaku asked. His tone scared Sakura. It was indicating that he might already know the answer to that question. Or the reason why Itachi wouldn't give a straight forward answer._

_Itachi paused for a moment. "Well," he began, "I can't say...it's an absolutely secret mission." Sakura watched Mikoto glance over at her husband with an apprehensive expression. Fugaku looked very displeased with that answer, but Sakura couldn't help feel that he had just been answered in the affirmative for something._

_"Itachi," Fugaku began after tense minutes of complete silence, "You are the backbone that connects this family to the village...you have to be a useful connection. You understand that, right?" Fugaku activated his Sharingan as he glared at his oldest son. His tone left no room for aversion._

_"Yeah," Itachi answered. _But that doesn't mean I agree with it or that I will follow it,_ Itachi thought bitterly._

_Fugaku scrutinized his son for a few moments. Sakura wondered if he was thinking about how unbinding Itachi's answer had been. "Impress them well, and then come to tomorrow's meeting."_

_Itachi didn't say anything. And then, "Sasuke," Itachi called out. Sakura watched the door frame tremble a bit as Sasuke's shock overtook him. "Go to the bathroom and quickly go to sleep."_

_"O-okay," Sasuke timidly answered as he opened the door to reveal himself. His mother and father both stared, shocked, at the door. Fugaku stood up and walked across the room._

_"Loitering around this late at night," Fugaku grumbled. "Hurry up and go to bed!" he commanded._

_"Okay," Sasuke answered, even lower than before._

"Why did you let him hear so much?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not sure," Itachi said. He let out a deep breathe as he looked down at the ground. "No, that's a lie. I know perfectly well why I let him listen to that conversation. I had a hope that maybe if he saw that, then later on there might be the smallest doubt as to the reason to why I did what I did. Maybe he would think there was more to it than what I told him. Maybe he would think I was doing the right thing." Sakura barely heard the finally sentence not only because Itachi whispered it but because of unrelenting waves of sorrow and disgust that filled her at that moment.

"Itachi," Sakura whispered. "Your human, right?" she asked. "You can't help but want to have your brother know the truth. You love him and I'm sure it kills you inside to know he hates you."

"I shouldn't have let him listen to that," Itachi said.

"It doesn't seem to have made a difference," Sakura told him. "Either he pushed it away from his memories or he simply misinterpreted what you were trying to show him. I don't think anyone would have gone so far as to think up anything close to the truth at that age." Sakura felt the intensity of the waves diminish just slightly. "I doubt he thinks back to that time. I don't think you caused any damage."

"If only it was just that that I let him see," Itachi whispered.

_A loud bang from the front door interrupted Itachi and Sasuke's conversation. Both brothers looked towards the front of the house. "Is Itachi here?" a loud voice asked from the door. "Come out now, we need to talk!" Itachi stiffened. He had recognized the chakra signatures but had hoped that they had come to talk to his father. Even though he was deluding himself. It was more than obvious to him that they were furious._

_Itachi slowly and calmly walked over to the front door where he saw three members of the Force standing at his door. "What is it, everyone?"Itachi asked._

_"We had two men missing at last night's meeting," one of them said. "Why did you not come?" Itachi didn't answer. Sakura glanced behind her to see Sasuke watching nervously from behind a wall. "I can understand that you have been occupied with various missions since you joined Anbu. Your father also told us that, and he's looking over you," the man with long hair said. _How much control did these people have over the lives of the other members in the Uchiha Clan?_ Sakura thought. "However," the man said._

_"We have no intent of treating you any differently," the other man said._ Treat him differently? Compared to what? Were their other Uchiha members who were against this?

_"I understand," Itachi answered. "I'll be more careful from now on...Please leave," Itachi bluntly asked them._

_"Yeah," the man responded but didn't move a muscle. "But before we do there is one more thing you need to answer." Itachi waited to hear the question, feinting interest. He knew perfectly well what they were going to ask him. "It's regarding the suicide by drowning in the Nakano River last night...of Uchiha Shisui." Itachi furrowed his eyebrows in what they believed was confusion and anger but was really worry. Lying gets easier over time, but the fear of getting caught never goes away._

_"The other man who did not arrive last night was Shisui," the long haired man explained. "I thought that you considered Shisui as a true brother."_

_"I see," Itachi said. His voice was once again void of emotions. "I haven't met with him recently...that is sad to hear."_

_"So, we the Police Force have decided to investigate this incident fully," he informed Itachi._

_"An investigation," Itachi asked. It was obvious to Sakura that he had been expecting yet dreading that decision. The man to Itachi's left took out a note._

_"This is Shisui's suicide note," the man said. "We already finished the handwriting analysis. It's no doubt his writing."_

_"If it's suicide, what's left to investigate," Itachi asked._

_"For those that can use the Sharingan, it's quite easy to forge one's handwriting," the black haired man said. Itachi was handed the note._

_"It's written on this little piece of paper," the other man said. "The following is his suicide note." Sakura peered over Itachi's shoulder to look at the note._

**_I'm tired of the duties..._**

**_There is no future for the Uchiha's..._**

**_And for me..._**

**_I cannot walk out the "path" any further..._**

Was that how Shisui really felt?_ Sakura wondered. "He was feared as Shisui of the mirage, and one of the most talented Uchiha's. He was someone who'd do anything for the clan," the man said. _And he did,_ Sakura thought. _He gave his life for the clan and tried to save it even though no one would have cared for his sacrifice.

_"I doubt a man like him would leave something like this behind and die," his companion added._

_"It's not wise to judge others by your preconceptions and their appearance," Itachi told them. _Could you be more obvious?_ Sakura thought._

_"I'm going to leave that will to you," he continued as if he hadn't heard Itachi's comment. "Take that to Anbu and request that they investigate as well."_

_"Understood," Itachi answered. _How can you do that?_ Sakura asked herself. _How can you stand there and lie to them so calmly? Even after your older brother just died?_ The three men turned to leave. Sakura let out a sigh of relief. But she had spoken too soon._

_"I certainly hope there will be other evidence," the brown haired man said._

_"We, the Police Force, have other connections to Anbu as well," the third man finally spoke. "If you try to hide anything, we'll know right away." Sakura watched as Itachi kept staring at the floor. His grip on the note only increasing a fraction. But she could tell he was at his breaking point._

_"Why don't you be more direct?" Itachi said. The three men stopped. When they looked back at Itachi, their Sharingan's were activated. "So, you are suspicious of me?" Itachi said, activating his own Sharingan._

_"Yes, brat," the long-haired man said._

_"Listen Itachi," the brown haired man began, "If you betray the clan, you won't go unpunished." Itachi moved like lightning. The next thing Sakura knew the doorway was empty. She turned her head to look outside and found Itachi standing in the middle of the street with the three men on the ground, beaten._

_"As I've said just now, don't judge others simply by your preconceptions and judgments of their appearance," Itachi told them. His voice made shivers run down her spine. He. Was. Pissed. And yet his voice was deadly calm which only made him more frightening. "You assumed that I have patience. The clan, the clan. You all fail to measure your own capacity, and to see the depth of my capacity, and as a result you lie beaten here." Sakura had never gotten to see Itachi as the man who everyone knew to be a heartless murderer and a member of the Akatsuki. But now, she was getting a front row seat to the display of Uchiha Itachi's menacing aura._

_"Shisui was told to keep an eye on you," the brown haired man said as he struggled to get to his feet. "Within half a year of your entrance into Anbu, your actions and speech were getting stranger than ever...what exactly are you thinking?"_

_"You hold on to the organization, your clan, your name," Itachi said. "These things limit us and limit our capacity. These things deserve to be shunned. It's foolish to fear what we yet to see and know!"_

_"Stop! Itachi!" Sakura turned to see Fugaku standing at the end of the street. She turned back to Itachi just in time to see the indifferent gaze he sent his father. "Stop it already. What in the world is wrong?" Sakura was amazed at how quickly Fugaku could reign in his emotions. "Itachi, you've been acting strange lately," his father said._

_"Nothing's strange," Itachi said. "I'm just caring out my duty." _To the village, to your clan?_ Sakura thought._

_"Then, why did you not come last night," Fugaku asked._

_"In order to reach the height," Itachi said in a low voice. _What are you thinking, Itachi! That's too much information,_ Sakura thought, frantically._

_"The what?" his father asked. Itachi quickly took out a kunai and then through it at the wall across from their house. It hit the center of the Uchiha crest._

_"Of my cpacity," Itachi explained. "I've lost all hope for this pathetic clan. You forget what is most important to you because you cling to something small like your clan. True change cannot be made if it is bound by laws and limitations, predictions and imagination."_

_"What arrogance," one of the men on the floor yelled. _Itachi..._Sakura thought._

_"Enough already," Fugaku yelled as he helped up the brown haired man. "If you continue this nonsense, we will have to take you to jail." _How can you say that? He's your son! How can you treat him like he's the most valuable person to you one moment and then a complete stranger the next? How much of the obedience of the Uchiha clan was brought on by fear and deception? How far did his power extend?_ "So what now?" Fugaku asked._

_"We can't put up with you anymore," the long-haired shinobi said. "Captain, please order an arrest."_

_"Stop, brother," Sasuke screamed from inside the house. Itachi visibly flinched and then fell to his knees. He bowed to them._

_"It is not me who has killed Shisui, but for the words I have spoken, I am deeply sorry," Itachi apologized. Sakura could see that he let no regret show on his face. He didn't let them see the severity of his mistake._

_"Lately, he has been busy with missions from the Anbu and has been worn out," Fugaku said, making an excuse for his son._

_"Captain!" the man exclaimed._

_"The Anbu is a batalion under the Hokage's direct authority," Fugaku explained. "Even us Police Forces cannot arrest them without an official order. Besides, I will look over my son with full responsibility. Please," Fugaku asked. The men seemed taken aback by Fugaku's request._

_"Understood sir."_

_"Itachi, let's go back inside," Fugaku turned his back on the four men and walked into his house. Sakura saw Itachi turn to glare at Fugaku with his Sharingan activated. Sakura watched as the tomoe around Itachi's pupil slowly expand to connect with the dark circle._

"What was that?" Sakura asked.

"The Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi answered. "I told you I had shown too much. It was my father's pride alone that allowed me to continue with the original plan."

"If he hadn't," Sakura asked. She remembered clearly Sasuke's terrified expression. If Fugaku hadn't stopped everything, then Sasuke would have been a witness to the murder of his own clan since Itachi would have been left with no choice but to continue with the plan. And even though Sakura knew that Sasuke had relived all of the murders with Itachi's Tsykuyomi, she also knew that Sasuke would have been much worth of being there and being powerless when the murders actually occurred.

"Then I would have had to kill them with my little brother watching," Itachi finished for her.

"I hadn't realized you despised them that much," Sakura whispered.

"Neither did I," Itachi replied. "They just made me snap. I had watched Shisui sacrifice himself for the village and for the clan and then they come over and accuse me of killing him. I know that in a way that they were right. It had been my fault that he died."

_Shisui had told Itachi that they needed to have a meeting in order to finalize some finer details in their plan. Itachi had had to lie to his father about the reason as to why he could not attend the meeting. But, then again, that wouldn't be the first time that he lied. Only that this time, his father had seemed much more suspicious about his motives. And Sasuke had overheard them too._

_Itachi shook his head. He couldn't be dwelling on his own personal problems at the moment. Shisui might notice and he didn't want to worry him anymore than he already was. Itachi finally saw the Nakano River. Shisui was already there but he had his back to Itachi. Shisui was gazing out at the river and Itachi couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. Shisui's chkara was lower than usual and he just had an overall bad feeling._

_When Itachi was only a few feet behind him, Shisui turned around. Itachi couldn't contain the shocked gasp he let out. "Shisui!" Itachi screamed as he ran over to his best friend. "What happened?" Shisui's right eye was bleeding and he seemed battered up._

_"Danzo," Shisui responded. "He has my eye now."_

_"That bastard!" Itachi cursed. "How was he able to get it from you?"_

_"There is no time for that," Shisui said. "I'm of no use to the village or the clan now." Itachi recognized the finality in that statement._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"No one else has seen me like this and Danzo might not know that I met with you before I left so this secret will be safe but-"_

_"What do you mean before you leave?" Itachi asked, though he already knew the answer._

_"I'm going to commit suicide, Itachi," Shisui said. "No, better said, you are going to kill me." His voice was strong and steady. It scared Itachi how calm he was with the prospect of his own death. But what unnerved Itachi was his eye. His left eye looked at him with sympathy. Shisui knew how much he meant to Itachi. He knew that Itachi thought of him as an older brother. And he knew perfectly well what he was leaving Itachi to deal with after he was gone. So he felt immensely guilty to ask Itachi to kill him knowing how much pain it would cause him. Shisui actually felt a bit selfish taking his own life._

_Shisui watched as Itachi leaned back a little. Itachi was smart; he had known that Shisui was planning that. But to hear it come out of his lips made it definite. His friend. His confident. His brother was asking him to kill him. He knew, logically, that it was the best thing to do. To many questions would arise from Shisui's injury. And if the Uchiha Clan got any suspicions that it had been Danzo than all out war was soon to follow. So, logically, this was the best thing to do. But that couldn't get past Itachi's thick wall of emotions. He was losing the one person he was able to go to whenever something was bothering him. Shisui had always agreed with Itachi that the betrayal of the Uchiha clan was wrong. Itachi had always been able to turn to him. Especially in these past few months when everything had been boiling down to the finally stand off. And now he was going to lose that._

_It took Itachi a few minutes to suppress his emotions and allow the logic in Shisui's plan to sink in. But once it did, Itachi realized something. No matter how perfect the logic was, it didn't help Itachi to not feel intense pain in his chest at the prospect of losing his brother. That pain doubled when he understood that this was the same pain he himself would be inflicting on Sasuke._

_"It has to be this way," Shisui finally whispered._

_"I know it does," Itachi answered. "But that doesn't make it any easier to bear."_

"I never realized there were so many secrets within our village," Sakura whispered. Even now, it was obvious Itachi hadn't been able to deal with the turmoil of emotions that Shisui's death had caused him. She understood now why Itachi had snapped the day afterwards. And why he had gone so far. He had been in so much pain at that moment. How was anyone expected to take insults and accusations? And Itachi had even been able to keep himself in check and make that outburst benefit him. When later he would tell Sasuke that the annihilation of the Uchiha Clan was to test his limits it would all sound familiar to Sasuke, making it even more believable. He had gotten his anger out and further progressed his well thought off plan.

"There are a lot more that even we don't know about at the moment," Itachi said. "Just try not to judge someone on how you see them because you never really now how they got there."

"But other people have suffered and they don't end up becoming criminals," Sakura exclaimed before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Don't apologize," Itachi said. "Your right. But sometimes understanding your enemy is half the battle. Anyway, I helped Shisui make it seem like he had destroyed both his eyes before he drowned himself in the river."

"What about his other eye?"

"I have it," Itachi answered. "Though I am still unsure of what exactly I should do with it."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Sakura told him.

"What's done is done, no?" Itachi asked as he looked up at the sky. Sakura felt more reassured with his calming emotions than with his statement.

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows as she thought of something. "So, your mother was in favor of the attack?" she asked remembering how upset she had seemed when Itachi said he wouldn't be able to go to the meeting.

Itachi let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his head. "Well," he stated but then let his sentence trail off. "To be honest, I'm not a hundred percent sure. I know it hurt her to think that her sons would be fighting each other and hating each other. She loved us and tried to keep our family as normal as possible. But whether she would have been in favor with the plan if we weren't involved I'll never know. All I know is that she didn't want us to be pinned against each other. And yet she never really did much to stop what was going to happen."

**_No matter how many times t_****_hat you told me you wanted to leave_**

_Mikoto was in the kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner. She didn't notice her oldest son enter the room until he loudly sat down on one of the chairs. Mikoto turned around with a smile that quickly vanished once she saw the state of her son. She knew better than to ask what happened or if he was alright. So instead she simply retrieved her first-aid kit from a cabinet and sat down beside Itachi. _

_Itachi said nothing as his mother started to heal his wounds. It would have been easier to go to the hospital and get treated there. But then too many questions would be asked. He settled with his mother. The mechanical way that she easily patched up his injuries proved what type of life style Itachi lived. "Training?" Mikoto timidly asked as she continued her work. She noticed her son give a curt nod from the corner of her vision. She shouldn't have asked. Now her hands were trembling and her vision was being obscured with tears. _

_"I'm fine," Itachi said. His voice was softer than it usually was. He had come to understand that there was no person alive that did not feel pain. And to dismiss someone's pain because it can't compare to the pain you yourself have to endure is egocentric. In that person's point of view, the pain they are dealing with is just as bad as the one you are going through. So why add to the pain his mother was in? "You shouldn't worry so much."_

_"I'm a mother, I'm supposed to worry," Mikoto said, trying to not see how different her situation was from all the other mothers. She looked up at her son and was met with a gaze that saw right through her. Mikoto let the tears roll down her face and she put down the bandages on the table. "This isn't right," she whispered. _

_"Stop," Itachi said. He didn't want to risk anyone overhearing her, but he really just didn't want to hear her. _

_"But it's not right," his mother sobbed. Itachi let out a sigh as he hugged his mother in order to stop her sobs from being so audible. "It's not right." She kept muttering that sentence again and again while her son tried to comfort her. _

_Even after her expression of remorse, she said nothing when Fugaku took Itachi out to train the next day. _

**_No matter how many breaths t_****_hat you took you still couldn't breathe_**

Sakura felt the slight resentment that Itachi still held for his mother. Sakura decided not to judge her. Who knew if Mikoto had made objections to Fugaku in private and he made her regret it? It wasn't her place to judge. "It was getting more and more difficult to get through every day," Itachi said. "Shisui was gone. The members of the Uchiha Clan were getting suspicious of me. Sasuke and I started to grow apart...And because of that our father finally started to take notice of him."**_  
><em>**

Sakura waited for Itachi to maybe show her a memory but nothing happened. Did Fugaku end up training Sasuke until he collapsed? Is that where he got his training style?

"Let's go in," Itachi stated suddenly. Sakura looked over at him. He was...apprehensive. Slowly, Itachi walked over to the gates. He made a few hand signs but Sakura couldn't distinguish what they were. But she paid very little attention to try and figure it out. She had felt something being released from the walls. Sakura couldn't pinpoint what was different but something definitely was. "Come on," Itachi called after her as he pushed open the gates. Sakura walked over to where he was standing and looked inside. According to Itachi, she had been here once before. But Sakura knew that if she could remember that she wouldn't have recognized the place.

The houses were worn down from the weather and lack of maintenance. The streets were abandoned with only a few scraps of paper flying around. None of those things registered in Sakura's head. She didn't notice how the paint on the houses was only a dull shade of what it used to be. She didn't notice how potholes on the streets were caused by the years of rain. She didn't noticed the weeds growing through cracks on the street.

All Sakura could see were the kunais and shuriken scattered around the floor or embedded in the walls. All she could see were the blood stains on the floors. The blood spatters on the walls. The cracks on all surfaces that indicated someone had had their head crushed.

Sakura suddenly started walking forward. Her feet were moving on their own. Part of her mind didn't want to see anymore. The place was covered with dark memories and painful events. Another part, the part that was currently winning, felt pulled in by some unknown force. As she walked onto the first street, she felt her mind being pulled from many directions.

_Sakura saw bodies scattered across the floor. "Why are you doing this?" Sakura turned her head to see a woman being stabbed in the chest by Itachi. Sakura suddenly clutched her chest. She looked down frightened. There was no blood or puncture wound. There was no sign of injury. So why did she feel as if she had just been stabbed? But that wasn't the only thing she felt. She felt confusion and fear and...betrayal. Then the complete and utter darkness that she had felt not too long ago came back to swallow her up._

_Something tugged at her mind and Sakura looked up. She saw Itachi stabbing someone in the stomach and slitting another person's throat. Sakura once again felt as if the blows had been giving to her. Again she was ambushed by feelings of fear but this time a different feeling accompanied the fear. It was a feeling that she knew well. Every time that Iruka-sensei would ask her a question, Sakura would quickly answer and have a feeling of reassurance and pride when Iruka said she was correct. Those two men had felt as if they had been proven right. But their feeling had been mixed with dread. More than anything they had been hoping that they would have been wrong._

_Sakura looked around the street. The place was reeked of fear and blood. Every time she saw someone being struck down she would feel their pain; both physically and emotionally. Sakura couldn't understand if it was Itachi that was causing all of this or not. But she doubted it. Sakura couldn't feel Itachi's presence in her mind. Something that made her even more sure of that fact was that she couldn't pull away from all of this. She had seen all of those people die. She had felt death's cold hand close around their souls and take them. But she herself couldn't escape._

_Whatever was going on, it was happening inside her head. But everything was too real._

"Sakura!" She was barely able to recognize her own name let alone who had said it. Sakura kept being attacked by the memories, but who's memories? "Sakura!" Slowly, everything started to return to normal. Sakura stared down at the ground. She was on her knees her hands holding her up. She was breathing hard, reassuring herself that she was still alive. "What happened!" Sakura vaguely registered the fact that Itachi was asking her something. She didn't notice that her entire body was shaking.

Everything had felt so real. She couldn't understand what was going on. "What...was that?" she managed to gasp out.

"What? What's wrong?" Itachi asked her.

"I," Sakura took in a big gulp of air to steady her voice. "I saw it."

"Saw what?"

"When you killed them," Sakura answered. She looked up into his startled eyes. "Everyone. I saw it. I felt it. I lived it!" Sakura felt her eyes begin to burn with tears. She quickly rubbed her eyes trying to gain control of herself. That's when she realized how scared she was. Her arms were trembling so badly that she could hardly keep her hand steady long enough to brush away the lone tear.

"How?" Itachi asked.

"I don't know," she whispered. She looked around at the empty street. The memories were flooding back to her. They were so clear. As if they were her own memories. "It's as if the memories of the people who died are still here...wanting to be remembered." If Itachi hadn't had his hand on her shoulder, she wouldn't have felt him shiver. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"Stop," Itachi said as he looked away. He slowly got to his feet and looked out into the distance. "I've already gone over that in my head many times."

**_No matter how many night's that you lied wide awake_**  
><strong><em>To the sound of poison rain<em>**

Sakura looked back down at her trembling hands. She would never be able to understand the complex combination of emotions that Itachi had to go through, but no one could ever say that she didn't know what pain felt like. She slowly got up off the floor and started walking further down the street. Occasionally she would see faint memories of kids running down the streets or people talking in front of houses. Sakura still had no idea how she was able to see all the memories of the people who had died there.

"As my missions in Anbu increased and the Uchiha's suspicions grew, I spent less and less time here," Itachi said. "It came to a point where I only came to sleep and when I just needed to make an appearance. Sasuke and I grew apart after the day I lost control. I could have tried to make him forgive me but it was probably better that way. The separation shouldn't have been so hard afterwards."

**_Where did you go?_**  
><strong><em>Where did you go?<em>**  
><strong><em>Where did you go?<em>**

"Didn't they put you under surveillance or something?" Sakura asked.

"They tried, but the Hokage put it to a stop saying that I had to many secret missions for the Force to be following me for no good reason. The more the Hokage tried to stop the on coming fight, the more the Uchiha's wanted it."

**_As the days go by_**  
><strong><em>The night's on fire<em>**

They both continued to walk down the streets of the Uchiha compound. On more than one occasion, they had to stop and allow Sakura to get a hold of herself before they were able to continue. The memories of the Uchiha's who used to live there never decreased. It was always the same mixture of a swift death coupled with fear, confusion, and hurt. No matter what the rumors might have been, no matter how strange Itachi had been acting, most of the Uchiha's still wanted to believe that it was just the stress that was getting to him. Or that maybe he was trying to fool the Hokage into thinking that he was on his side? Maybe he was doing this in order to be allowed to stay in Anbu? Maybe, maybe, maybe... The speculations that the people had about Itachi went on and on but they all realized the truth before they died. Itachi had betrayed them. To them, it was that simple.

Sakura could see that this was taking a toll on Itachi. Every time she seemed to be catching her breathe, it seemed that Itachi was doing the same thing. She made sure to keep him out of her mind when she would be engulfed by the memories of the people but that didn't really matter. Itachi had his own memories that he had to fight of with ever step he took.

Suddenly, Itachi came to a stop in front of a house. Sakura looked around and was amazed to see that there was a distinct puncture hole at the center of one of the Uchiha crests with many cracks around it. It seemed as if..._A kunai had punctured it._ Sakura whipped her head around to stare up at the house in front of her. "This is..." Sakura trailed off.

"My house," Itachi concluded. He took one tentative step towards the menacing building and then another. At a wary turtle's pace, Itachi was able to make it to the front door. Sakura staid out at the street watching him. She was terrified. She didn't know if she could bare seeing all of the memories of Sasuke's childhood play right before her eyes. If she was like that, then how could Itachi be feeling?

Years. It had been years since he had stepped foot on the Uchiha compound let alone on his house. Once he opened that door everything would come back to him. All the memories that he had tried so hard to suppress. All the things that he tried to deal with when he had sleepless nights.

_Itachi sat on the floor of one of the many rooms in his house. He stared at the small piece of paper in his hand. He read over the lines on that single piece of paper. He had memorized every curve, every line, every wrinkle in the worn out parchment. He read it over one last time and then let it fall to the floor. He knew what he had to do and there was no going back now. Everything was in place.  
><em>

_Itachi mechanically put on his Anbu gear. He put on his arm protectors, strapped on the vest, and slide his sword on his back. Finally he tied his forehead protector. The first time he had put on that piece of material, he had never guessed that it would lead him to this point in his life. _As Itachi opened his eyes, he activated his Mangekyo Sharingan_._

"That day..." Itachi whispered. He remembered it perfectly. Better than he would like to. Every weapon thrown and every ounce of blood dropped, he remembered it all. He couldn't forget and part of him didn't want to. Sakura had said it herself. The Uchiha Clan still wanted to be remembered. All the memories Sakura had to endure today was proof of that. So why should he disgrace his clan even more by forgetting what he put them through? If having to suffer with all those memories was the price to pay for what he did, then he would pay it.

**_No matter how many death that I die I will never forget_**  
><strong><em>No matter how many lives that I live I will never regret<em>**

_"We cannot wait any longer," Fugaku declared. All of the usual members were once again in another meeting and Itachi continued to listen to them with intent ears. _

_"We have to bid our time," one member spoke up. _

_"Why?" Fugaku asked. "I will never settle for anything less than the entire village under my control! The Hokage won't give that to us! So why bother with these meaningless negotiations."_

_"They are not meaningless," Itachi spoke up. "Once this entire thing is over, don't you think that it would benefit us to be able to say that we tried to prevent this. The Uchiha clan sought a peaceful means to end this conflict; the Hokage wouldn't give us one." Murmurs rose up in the room as the members thought through Itachi's statement. _

_"I'm done waiting," Fugaku repeated. "Ever since Senju Hashirama defeated Uchiha Madara, the Hokage's of this village haven't trusted us. They have limited our control in the government and given us the Force as an apology. The Force is just a way for them to keep us in check. They have forced us to live in this compound as if we had a disease and were being quarantined. How much more disrespect and humiliation will we stand for? The Uchiha Clan should be the Hokages of this village! We are the best and we deserve to be treated as such!"_

_Cheers of approval and excitement ran through the crowd. Fugaku stood in front of them with a smirk on his face. _

_Itachi watched silently as the people sealed their fate. _

**_There is a fire inside of this heart_**  
><strong><em>And a riot about to explode into flames<em>**

"They never even considered any of the proposals the Third gave them," Itachi whispered. "They left us no other option." **_  
><em>**

"Wasn't anyone brave enough to say no?" Sakura asked.

"They were either to scared to say it or to blind to see that they should be saying no," Itachi answered. "The group won out any individual."

"Except you," Sakura whispered. Itachi didn't say anything.

"I was terrified," Itachi finally said. Sakura was shocked by both his declaration and his raw emotions. "I doubted myself. I wasn't sure that I could do it. At times I doubted if I could actually defeat them all. I knew one on one I was stronger than all of them, but could I actually take them all on at once? Most of the time I wondered if I could even do it. Was I even capable of killing all of them? Could I suppress my emotions to the point where I didn't care to slit my uncle's throat or stab my own mother? And then there was my biggest doubt of all: was I doing the right thing? Did we really try every single option that we had? Was this only a short cut to deal with the problem or was it the only solution?

_And I know I may end up failing too_  
><em>But I know, you were just like me<em>  
><em>With someone disappointed in you<em>

"I didn't know any of that. Shisui helped me get through it at first and the short moments with Sasuke gave me a reason to do it. But then they both left me. How was I going to manage to do this all on my own? I couldn't sleep. I hardly ever ate. Everything seemed to be falling apart. I was lost."

Sakura didn't realize when she had started walking or when Itachi had fallen to the floor but now she found herself on the floor with her legs under her hugging Itachi as he clung to her. She didn't feel any tears but she felt his body shivering every few seconds. "How was I supposed to become a killing machine? How could I take away what made me human? And if I were to succeed, what would I be then? A heartless animal? A body void of any soul?"

**_Do you really want..._**  
><strong><em>Do you really want me?<em>**  
><strong><em>Do you really want me dead, <em>**  
><strong><em>Or alive to torture for my sins?<em>**

"Stop, please stop," Sakura pleaded. She couldn't take seeing him so broken. This wasn't the Itachi she had come to know. "You aren't heartless and you have a soul. Your brave and kind and selfless. Your to good to be tied down to this human world that is filed with greed and deception."

"I'm not," Itachi said. He pulled away from her. "I killed my family. I killed my own parents. I caused my little brother to suffer through a life filled with hatred and an unquenchable thirst for revenge. I betrayed everyone that I knew. I let myself be swallowed up by the devil."

"But you did it for us," Sakura said. "Everyone in this village owes you their lives and they should know it!"

"No," Itachi said. "The Elders and Danzo would never allow for something this sensitive to be sent out into public ears. You will not say anything."

"But it isn't fair that you have to bear all of this pain because of us," Sakura countered. "You've sacrificed everything for us! And what do we do? We criticizes you and brand you as a criminal! It isn't right!"

**_Do you really want..._**  
><strong><em>Do you really want me?<em>**  
><strong><em>Do you really want me dead,<em>**  
><strong><em>Or alive to live a lie?<em>**

"This is the way it has to be and this is the way I want it," Itachi said. "That was my promise with the Hokage. He wouldn't speak a word about this to anyone and I would stop the Uchiha's from threatening the village. I wanted it this way. I asked for it."

"So why keep me around?" Sakura asked. "It wouldn't benefit anyone if the truth got out."

"It would benefit Madara," Itachi answered. "And even Danzo might say something if it benefited him."

**_The promises we made were not enough_**  
><strong><em>(Never play the game again)<em>**

"People hate. Hatred is something no human can escape. No matter how noble or righteous one is, hatred will always be in their hearts. Maybe it will only be a speck but it will be there. It is up to each individual to either allow it to grow or to diminish it as much as possible."

**_The prayers that we prayed were like a drug_**  
><strong><em>(Never gonna hit the fear)<em>**

"No one can know what truly happened," Itachi said. "If they were to find out, then no one would trust in the Hokage anymore. Danzo can use that to his advantage. He could tarnish the Third's memory and play Tsunade out to look like an accomplice. The truth would cause mass panic in the village. I won't let that happen."

**_The secrets that we sold were never known_**  
><strong><em>(Never sing a song for you)<em>**

"You can't stop it then," Sakura said.

"Can't stop what?"

"If hatred is an unstoppably emotion, then sooner or later there will be another conflict. Something else will try and harm the village. You must have known that. You must know that you can't ensure eternal peace. So why sacrifice so much if you knew that it would all have been for nothing?"

"It wasn't for nothing," Itachi answered.

"But you gave up everything," Sakura screamed. "You lost what you cared about most in this world. Your clan, your village, and your little brother!"

"I did," Itachi said. "But that doesn't mean that I regret any of it. It was hard. It was impossible for me to kill Sasuke, which is why I let him live. But it had to be done."

**_The love we had, the love we had, we had to let it go_**  
><strong><em>(Never giving in again, never giving in again)<em>**

"It was worth it," Itachi repeated. "I was able to give you and all of your classmates and friends a normal enough childhood. You guys were able to grow up without facing the hardships of war or death. You all had hard times to go through but everyone eventually will. Giving you that ounce of normality to hold onto when your faced with the world of a ninja is something that makes it worth all the sacrifice."

"That was one of my goals and I'm glad I was able to accomplish it," Itachi said. "And you guys were even able to give Sasuke something too." Itachi's gaze wondered over to the house beside them.

_Itachi was in the room with his parents. "Mother! Father!" Sasuke's voice screamed. _

_"Sasuke...don't come in!" Those were Mikoto's finally words before Itachi struck them with his blade. He watched as the door slowly opened. _

_"Father! Mother!" Sasuke screamed again. Itachi slowly turned to glare at him. "Brother! Father and Mother are...Why! Why! Who the hell...this..." Itachi sent a shuriken flying past Sasuke. It barely grazed his shoulder. _

_"Foolish little brother," Itachi said. He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Itachi showed him when he killed their parents. He showed him members of three of them. Sasuke experienced it first hand. Itachi knew that it was cruel to put his little brother through something like that but he also knew that he needed a reason to hate him. Sasuke crumbled to the floor.  
><em>

_"Why did you...?"_

_"It was to measure my capacity," Itachi stated. It was eating him away, seeing Sasuke in that state. He had to make a decision now: to kill his younger brother or save his life? Itachi knew that Sasuke must have been remembering back to the other day when Itachi had planted the seed of doubt in Sasuke's mind. _

_"To test your capacity?" he asked, disbelievingly. "That's the reason... you killed everyone?"_

_"It was essential," Itachi said._

_"What?...That's...complete crap!" Sasuke shouted as he ran towards Itachi. Sasuke fell and looked right at his father's dead face. Itachi watched as Sasuke began to cry. He ran out of the room and into the streets. It was too easy to get ahead of him. "Yes...you can't be my brother," Sasuke said as tears continued to stream down his face. He was trembling with fear and sweat trickled down his face.  
><em>

_"The brother you wanted to spend time with has done this," Itachi told him. "To ascertain your capacity, I continued acting as the brother you desired and became your companion. To see if that potential lies hidden. You found me disagreeable and hated me. You continued waiting to surpass me, because of that I will let you live... For my sake."_ I can't bare to live with this on my shoulders. I'll lose my sight soon enough. I'll leave you with one more burden..._ "You can awaken the same Mangekyo Sharingan as me. However, there is a requirement. You must kill your closest friend." _

_Sasuke stared at him in shock. He still hadn't completely comprehended what Itachi had just said. "In order to be like me," Itachi said. Then he saw that Sasuke realized what Itachi had done. _

_"Um...Brother...Brother, did you kill Shisui-san?" Sasuke asked. Itachi tried to hold back his tears at the fact that Sasuke was still calling him brother. _

_"Thanks to him, I was able to obtain this eye," Itachi said coldly. "At the main temple of the Nakano shrine, on the far right side, under the seventh tatami mat, is the clan's secret meeting place. There you will find what purpose the doujutsu of the Uchiha Clan originally served. The real secret is written there. If you open your eyes to the truth, including myself, there will be three people who can handle the Mangekyo Sharingan. In that case, there would be a reason to let you live. Right now," Itachi continued as he took a step towards Sasuke. Itachi tried to ignore the terrified expression Sasuke had. "It would be worthless to kill someone like you. My foolish brother. If you want to kill me, curse me, hate me. And live a long and unsightly life. Run away. Run away and cling to your pitiful life. And some day, when you have the same eyes as me, come before me."_

**_Tell me would you kill to save your life?_**  
><strong><em>Tell me would you kill to prove your right?<em>**

Sakura didn't say anything for a long time. She was torn in two. She felt her heart breaking for the both of them. How was she supposed to sympathize with one of them when he was the one that caused the other so much pain? She saw Itachi still staring at the door. "We don't have to go in," Sakura whispered.

"No," Itachi said. "I think it's time I faced my past."


	29. Itachi's Talk With Gaara

Chapter 29 Itachi's Talk With Gaara

"I still can't believe that you were able to get it."

"I told you I would," Sakura repeats.

"Well, yeah, but saying you would and actually doing it are two very different things," Kyoshi responded. He held the picture firmly in his hands as if afraid that at any moment it might turn to dust. Sakura herself had fears of that happening. The picture was rather old and worn with the sides crumbled but Kyoshi treated it as if it was the most priceless artifact he had ever seen.

"I just wish I could have gotten you a better picture," Sakura voices her thoughts.

"Don't worry about it," Kyoshi responds as he folds up the picture and puts it in one of the pockets of his green vest. "It's better than nothing. But, honestly, my gratitude for you is going to end once we reach the desert."

"Someone doesn't like a little heat?" Sakura teased as she stuffed more things into her bag.

"It's not just a little heat; it's the freaking desert!" Kyoshi exclaimed as he leaned against the door frame.

"Clam down," Sakura said as she surveyed her room. "We won't be gone for too long."

"You know, in all my time in Anbu, I never once had to go to Suna. And now that I'm stuck with you it's the first place we have to go too," Kyoshi continued to complain.

"I think I liked you better when you were the silent, brooding type," Sakura mused.

"Nah, things would be too boring that way." Sakura finally turned around and glared at Kyoshi as he just smirked back. She rolls her eyes and zips her bag closed.

"Let's head towards the gates," Sakura says. She swung her pack onto her back and exited the room behind Kyoshi. Sakura was in a relatively good mood taking into account the horrible morning she had. She hadn't known what had happened with Itachi inside the Uchiha house since he had wanted to go in there alone, but she herself had had to suffer through many more terrifying memories as she tried to find that picture. It wasn't the fact that she would experience the murders; Sakura also saw glimpses of how the Uchiha's used to live in the compound. They seemed like perfectly happy and ordinary people. It gave Sakura a headache to have to go through all of that. And once they left, she had been summoned to the Hokage's building so that Tsunade could explain the mission that they would have. It was rather simple. They just had to help Suna in any of the rebuilding and defense needs that they had.

In the end, all of Team 10, Sakura, and Kyoshi were to head out to Suna as soon as possible. Kyoshi hadn't been at all happy that he was still being punished. Though Sakura couldn't help but wonder if Tsunade had told anyone else about the reasons why Kyoshi was no longer in Anbu. Itachi had already left ahead of them to try and talk with Gaara before they arrived. It was frustrating to think that they had three rough days of travel ahead of them.

* * *

><p>"I doubt it is prudent to attack yet again."<p>

"It would make much more sense to have sequential attacks rather than allow them to rebuild their forces."

"People could start to get suspicious and I do not need for a war to break out. Tsunade might just be idiotic enough to get herself mixed up in all that. No, we should at the very least wait until the Leaf ninja have been in Suna for some time before another attack."

"You wish to make it seem as if the attackers of Suna are retaliating against Tsunade for the aid she so readily gave?"

"Exactly. It would show everyone how rash a choice it was to choose her for the position of Hokage. Honestly, a village shouldn't spend so much time without a Kage to lead them. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone that Suna was attacked."

"Don't say it as if Suna put up no fight. Some of the men were lost."

"Men are replaceable. But we can't be so rash ourselves and not think this through. No, our best course of action is to make it appear as if the next attack on Konoha was a result of the aid Tsunade gave to Suna. Maybe a life or two lost in Suna would be helpful."

"I think it would be best to continue the assaults, but failure will cause you problems so we will do as you say."

"Oh, and something you might be interested in. The girl will be in Suna."

...

"Yes, that is something I would be interested in."

* * *

><p>"Why must it be so hot?" Choji asked as he dragged his feet through the sand.<p>

"It's the desert! What did you expect?" Ino shot at him. In all fairness, everyone was a little on edge thanks to the heat. Sakura most definitely was. If Ino hadn't said anything, she might have. But she was a bit busy keeping her mouth shut so she wouldn't complain like Choji.

"We're almost there," Asuma said from ahead of them.

"I'm fairly certain you said that over an hour ago," Kyoshi said from beside Sakura.

"Yeah, I think I did," Asuma replied.

"So, we, at the very least, have another hour and a half to go?" Sakura asked.

"Probably," Asuma answered calmly. Everyone else groans. It was only annoying them further that Asuma seemed to be unaffected by the heat.

"This is such a drag," Shikamaru whined.

"Oh, shut it! Everyone is tired," Ino snaped at him.

"They seem like a lovely bunch," Kyoshi told Sakura under his breath. Sakura didn't reply other than a wide grin.

"Just calm down you guys," Asuma said. "If you don't think about it, you won't notice it as much."

"How...am I...supposed...to stop...thinking...about it?" Choji gasped out.

"Well, just focus your mind on something else," Asuma responded.

"Like what? The smoldering hot sand under our feet? The lack of moisture in the air? The lack of quality in the food we've been eating the past three days? The dry sweat and dirt on our bodies? Or maybe the dizziness caused by the sun burning down on us?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

"Uummm...I was thinking of the fact that this is the first mission we all have together," Asuma replied, a little less enthusiastically. Asuma could definitely feel five pairs of eyes glaring at his back. "Hey, there's Suna." For a moment, Sakura believed that he was just saying that to get them to stop glaring at him but then the far walls of Suna came into view on the horizon. She let out a breath of relief. Unconsciously, everyone started to speed up as the village drew nearer.

"Eager to see someone?" Sakura asked Shikamaru, teasingly.

"Not someone, but something. Like a nice cool bed," Shikamaru responded.

"Come on, we all know that you can't wait to see a certain blonde," Ino added.

"If your referring to Gaara's insufferable sister, then the answer is no. I most definitely don't want to see her," he said...almost a little _too_ defensive.

"Too bad because it seems like she's part of the welcoming committee," Sakura piped up. Shikamaru quickly looked up and then frowned. They were close enough to see Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara waiting for them.

"Troublesome," Shikamaru grumbled under his breath. Sakura and Ino giggled. Sakura noticed Kyoshi's raised eyebrow but Sakura just shakes her head, silently telling him that she would fill him in later.

"Well, let's not keep them waiting," Asuma said as he broke out into a run. Everyone followed behind him.

* * *

><p>"Look, Temari, your boyfriends coming," Kankuro said nudging Temari. "Is that why you insisted on coming?"<p>

"Of course not," Temari said. "I had no idea he would be coming today."

"Right, of course you didn't," Kankuro replied while rolling his eyes.

Gaara ignored his two siblings. His eyes were focused on a certain pink haired girl who was making her way over to them.

_"Well, that should be everything for today," one of the councilmen announced._

_"I think we have one more matter to discuss," someone spoke up. Slowly, everyone at the big round table sat back down._

_"I'm sure we all know what this is about, Tetsuya," the first councilman said._

_"You should. It is the most important one to complete," Tetsuya said._

_"There are more pressing matters at the moment," he argued._

_"Yes, matters that could be dealt with much more efficiently if we were to chose a Kazekage. We aren't supposed to be making these decisions. We are only supposed to advise and carry out orders from the Kazekage. All of these long meetings could have been avoided if we made it our first priority to elect a new Kazekage. No other villager has ever waited this long to choose another Kage. Konoha lost their Kage around the same time that we did, and they quickly chose a successor. It seems to have been a correct one at that."_

_"Your only saying that because she has sent troops and provisions," one man grumbled._

_"And that shows her willingness not only to forgive but to support the alliance we have formed," Tetsuya replied._

_"And who would you suggested for the position?" Baki asked from Gaara's other side._

_"Please, Baki. We all know that Tetsuya is hoping that Gaara will be the next Kage," another adviser said._

_"Only because he is most fit for the job," Tetsuya calmly responded._

_"He is just a child!"_

_"Not nearly enough experience."_

_"We can't trust him." That last comment drew the room into an eerie silence. Obviously, the speaker had been hoping not be heard._

_Gaara didn't respond. He simply kept staring at a spot on the table in front of him. He was, sadly, used to all of the side remarks about his inability to control Shukaku. And in all honesty, Gaara could neither blame them or renounce their accusations._

_"But he can learn," Tetsuya said. "Baki, you have known Gaara and the other Sand Siblings the longest, who do you think should be nominated?"_

_Baki stiffened. He took a moment to think through the question, or at least that was what everyone else thought he was doing. Gaara himself took the time to shift through his feelings. He wasn't completely sure how he would feel being chosen as Kazekage. Of course, he wanted to become the Kazekage but he had to agree with everyone else in the room. Maybe the fact that he was young didn't really matter, but he was inexperienced and untrustworthy. Gaara knew that with time he would definitely learn to control the Shukaku, but he just wasn't ready._

_"I believe that Gaara would be the best out of the three," Baki finally said. Gaara was surprised by the answer but didn't show it. "All three of them are great ninja and strategist, but Temari wouldn't be able to deal with all of the paperwork and diplomatic aspect of the job. Kankuro is more level headed than his sister but his inability to think more than just a few steps ahead of his opponent may cause problems. It also affects his way to see how his actions will have a long term effect. Kankuro is also more immature than Gaara. Gaara will be able to make all of the decisions necessary for Suna to prosper. He will excel in all of the different requirements that a Kage must meet. He is young, yes, but there isn't anyone more suited for the job and more determined to protect the village." Baki looked Gaara straight in the eyes to let him know that he meant every word he had just said._

_"I think that Ichiro would make a much better candidate," one of the other men said. An instant uproar followed.  
><em>

_"He is a lousy ninja-"  
><em>

_"Hot-tempered-"  
><em>

_"Always getting into fights."  
><em>

_"Hardly anyone in the village likes him."  
><em>

_"Then what about Keiji," another said, this time nominating a fellow councilman.  
><em>

_"The man is a horrible diplomat!"  
><em>

_"The majority of the population in Suna loath him!"  
><em>

_"Your only nominating him because he's sponsoring your new business!"  
><em>

_"Are you accusing me of bribery!" Keiji said, outraged._

_"No," the man responded. "I'm accusing him of being a suck-up." Everyone around the table started yelling at each other and Gaara could no longer make out any of the accusations being said. He let out a heavy sigh; the meetings always ended up like this. It was one of the reasons why they took for ever to settle any one subject. Only Baki and Tetsuya stayed quiet. There was an amused girn on Tetsuya's face.  
><em>

_"I think it would be reasonable to give everyone time to mull over what has been discussed," Tetsuya finally said, speaking over all of the other yelling advisers. "We can meet again in two days to elect the nominees and, hopefully, a new Kazekage." Everyone slowly gathered their things and left the room._

_"Next meeting is going to be a battle ground," Baki said to Tetsuya as they and Gaara left the meeting room. "And giving them two days will only allow for people to start bribing and coursing the others."  
><em>

_"Yes, well, we all know that many of the advisers were hoping that their sons could obtain the position if they aren't gunning for it themselves," Tetsuya responded._

_"The team from Konoha should be arriving tomorrow," Gaara asked them, not at all subtly changing the subject._

_"Yes, you and Kankuro should go and meet them at the entrance," Baki said._

_"Right," Gaara mumbled._

_"Well, it's late. Good night," Tetsuya said before leaving._

_"You should go and get some rest, too. You've been doing too much lately," Baki told Gaara._

_"I'm fine, but I will head over to my room," Gaara responded. Baki studied Gaara for a few minutes before leaving. Gaara stared down the hallway and then let out a sigh. He hated to admit it but Baki was right. Every since he got back from the mission to help retrieve Sasuke, he had been training during the days, when he wasn't on missions, and then working in the Kazekage building trying to learn more about how the village was run. It really wasn't a secret to anyone that he was trying to become Kazekage. And it was even less of a secret that many villagers were displeased by the idea.  
><em>

_Gaara moved down the hallways going to his room but as he looked out one of the windows, something caught his eye. He came to an abrupt stop and walked back over to the window. A lone white daffodil was popping out of the ground. Gaara furrowed his eyebrows. Never had he ever seen that type of flower in Suna._

_With an uneasy feeling, Gaara turned around and started retracing his steps until he was outside of the building. He took a moment to draw a mental map of where he had been in the building when he saw the flower and where he was now. Gaara then quickly started moving towards the back of the building where the flower should be. But once Gaara reached the spot, he saw the flower in the mouth of a light brown weasel. So now there were two things that he had never seen before._

_The weasel looked over at him ran a few paces away from the building and then turned around to look at him again. Gaara had the strange feeling that it was telling him to follow. But he stayed rooted to his spot. _It's a trap,_ he thought. He should kill the weasel at that moment and avoid any complications._

I won't hurt you._ Gaara gave a sudden start when he heard that foreign voice inside his head. He looked around quickly, almost hoping to find someone who could have said that, but his eyes settled on the weasel. _We need to talk._ Gaara took an involuntary step back. The weasel couldn't be talking. Exhaustion was finally getting to him. He was having hallucinations. _I know who attacked your village._ The sand at his feet start to tremble as Gaara become restless._

_"Who?" he asked, out loud. He cast another glance around, but no one was there. It would be his luck to have one of the councilmen see him talking to a weasel. Instead of responding, the weasel moved further along the rocks and then looked back._

Come with me._ And then it was out of sight. Well, logically, he shouldn't go anywhere near an animal that can talk to him with his mind. But he was confident enough that if it was a trap that he would be able to survive. But what if Shukaku...No. He had enough control over Shukaku's blood lust for one fight not to ruin that. It would take a very intense fight to get him to lose control again. And the animal did say that he had important information. So, depending on how things turned out, he would be an idiot who believed a telepathic weasel or a reasonable and open-minded leader who carefully analyzed all of his options before making a decision. Well...there was always the possibility that he could prove his power and ability to control the Shukaku in a fight with an intruder. So maybe it could be considered a win-win._

_Gaara started walking around the rocks where the weasel had disappeared behind. Up ahead, the weasel had been patiently waiting, perched on a rock, for his arrival. When he noticed Gaara, the weasel jumped down from the rock and scurried further away from the village. Gaara almost thought that he planned to leave the border but then he stopped and looked back at Gaara. The weasel waited until he only stood a few feet away from him. Gaara steadied his breathing and prepared for a fight. "Well?" he finally asked._

Don't attack,_ drifted through his mind before there was a loud pop followed by smoke. Gaara instantly tensed. The chakra level of the person standing before him was...astounding. As the smoke cleared, Gaara saw before him a tall man with long dark hair and eyes. He was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt with black pants. A holster was on his right leg and a pouch on his back near his waist. There was something familiar about the young man's face but Gaara couldn't place the familiarity. But it must have meant something; the man had expected him to attack when he saw his face._

_"I'm not here to fight," Itachi said, holding up his hands for emphasize._

_"Who are you?" Gaara asked, wearily._

_"Uchiha Itachi," he replied._

_"Uchiha?" Gaara thought for a moment. "Sasuke," he said out of realization. That was why the man looked so familiar._

_"He's my brother," Itachi said._

_Gaara quickly drew up the sand from the ground. "Your a-"_

_"A missing nin," Itachi cut him off. "Yes, but, like I said, I'm not going to attack. I came to give you information that could be useful to you."_

_"Why would I trust you?" Gaara asked, calmly._

_"Because I have no real motive to lie to you," Itachi said._

_"But you have no motive to help me," Gaara argued._

_"Now that isn't true," Itachi said. "By helping you, I can, hopefully, gain some of your trust. So the first thing I will do, is give you some very useful information on a certain councilmen that I am sure will interest you greatly."_

_"And how will I know that you are telling the truth?" Gaara repeated._

_"You will see it with your own eyes that I am telling you the truth," Itachi told him. The confidence that oozed off of him unnerved Gaara. What could he possible have to show him that he was so sure it would make Gaara trust him?_

_"One of the councilman? It would be far to easy for any one of them to have hired you and planned all of this," Gaara said._

_"You really are going to be hard to convince," Itachi said with a light smirk, as if he enjoyed the challenge. "Well, I will slowly, but surely, gain your trust. Now, though, you need to know what I want."_

_"So you are looking to get something in return for the information," Gaara accused. He was too much like Sasuke when he just assumed things like that. Were all Uchiha's that cocky?_

_"Like, I said, your trust," Itachi repeated. "But now for a short history lesson and story." Itachi leaned back against the rock behind him, as if getting comfortable._

_..._

_Gaara didn't say anything. There was just no way that what he was saying was true. For him to have betrayed his clan and sacrifice so much for nothing in return. There was no way. He had listened patiently and attentively as he told his tale. Though the more Gaara thought about it, the more likely it seemed. He kept pushing that voice of reason away from his mind but it just persisted._

_He wasn't naive enough to believe that the Hokage and Elders wouldn't ask something like that of him. His father had tried to kill him countless times all in the name of the village. He himself now understood the reasons behind the assassination attempts. He still held a sense of resentment towards his father for what he did to him, but, logically, he understood why he had done it. So it wasn't that Gaara couldn't wrap his head around the corrupt and selfish government Konoha seemed to have. Gaara couldn't wrap his head around why Itachi agreed to all of that._

_So, no, Gaara didn't believe him. It was too far-fetched of a story. Yet, Gaara argued with himself, it was so questionable that it seemed unlikely that someone would make such an extravagant lie._

_"I don't expect you to believe me, but I just wanted you to bare in mind what I said. Sakura believes me. I'll be letting her know that I've told you soon, or you can tell her yourself. Maybe she will have some things to add that might convince you. But, for now, just be wary of Hayashi." Before Gaara could ask him anything, he was gone._

_Gaara stood for a few more moments and then quickly walked back towards the building. He needed to sleep on this. Conspiracy within the government, cover-ups, unjustly accused traitors that turn out to be victims. When did his life become an over dramatized spectacle?_

Gaara had barely been able to sleep last night. His mind kept going over and over the story Itachi had told him. In all honesty, the story could very well be true. He knew that there were some very dark things that the villages tried to keep secret. Half the people who hated or feared him didn't even know why they did so. And then almost nobody knew of the many attempts there had been on his life. He wasn't blind to all of the secrets there were. But was this particular one true...

As the five Leaf ninja drew closer, he made up his mind about how he was going to handle the situation.


	30. Setting the Pieces in Place

**I'm too Lazy to login: I think I'll just have Gaara only be able to sleep a few hours a night, but it will be the type of sleep where you get absolutely no rest. As he gets more control over Shukaku, then he'll sleep more. Thanks for pointing that out. **

**HellGirl: Thank you so much for the review. I had been suffering from writers block for the longest of times now. But thanks to your review I was able to push myself in order to write a chapter I was happy with. Hope you enjoy it. :)**

Chapter 30 Setting the Pieces in Place

"Hi and welcome to Suna," Temari greeted them.

"Thank you for the warm welcome," Asuma said. "Asuma," he said as he gestured towards himself. "Choji, Ino, Kyoshi, and I'm sure you already know Sakura and Shikamaru."

"Nice to see you when your not about to lose your life," Temari said sweetly to Shikamaru who just glared back at her.

"We should probably go inside," Kankuro suggested. He kept roaming the scenery behind them. Sakura noticed that further down a big part of the wall had crumbled to the ground. Many men and women were working to rebuild it.

"Of course," Asuma responded.

"You'll be staying in the Kazekage building, though you'll have to share rooms with us," Temari began to explain as they walked through the gap in the walls.

"Now that will be interesting," Ino said as she bounded ahead and started talking animatedly with Temari. Sakura trailed behind Shikamaru and Choji. She felt the slightest bit nervous of being around Gaara. He was the reason as to why Lee had been on the verge of no longer being able to be a ninja. He had fought Sasuke and Naruto. But Naruto had forgiven him for everything, he had helped in the attempt to rescue Sasuke, and he had helped Lee in his fight with Kimimaro. So she shouldn't be made at him but she shouldn't trust him either. Well, Itachi trusted him. Wait, did he? Just because he was going to tell Gaara one of his biggest and life-threatening secrets didn't necessarily mean that he trusted him...Wait, what was she thinking!

_"I never realized how entertaining your mind is,"_ an all too familiar voice said in her head.

_"You have no morals,"_ Sakura screamed at him.

_"Hey, I know you felt my presence,"_ Itachi rebutted.

_"I thought you were going to say something sooner,"_ Sakura defended herself.

_"Well, you were wrong. I talked to Gaara last night. He knows everything, including your part."_

_"My part? I haven't played any part in this,"_ Sakura said.

_"True but you still know the truth so be ready for a confrontation."_

_"Alright," _Sakura replied._ "Wait, your here in Suna?"_

_"Not _in_ Suna at the moment but close by,"_ Itachi said.

_"Okay, then I'll see what I can do about Gaara cause I doubt he'll take your word for the matter," _Sakura told him.

_"I have my own plans to gain his trust but,by all means, take a crack at it."_

Sakura felt Itachi's presence disappear and she tried to focus on the conversation that Kankuro and Asuma were having.

"They came in the middle of the night. The explosion on the wall was what woke most of us up," Kankuro said.

"Did they seem to have any specific objective," Asuma asked.

"Yeah, to destroy as much of the village as they could," Kankuro replied. As they left the path between the up raised mountains, they saw many sections of the area were heavily damaged. Some houses were just a pile of rocks and wood while in others there were long expanses of plain land. "They didn't even try to go towards the Kazekage's office."

"Definitely seems like they were hoping you would start a war," Asuma suggested. Many eyes were on them as they walked through the village. They just seemed curious about the new arrivals and Sakura was thankful that none of them looked scared or reproachful.

"Yeah, they almost got their wish too. The councilmen were furious," Kankuro said.

"When are they ever going to swallow their pride and just name Gaara Kazekage," Temari called back from where she and Ino were. All eyes turned to Gaara.

"No offense, but I can see why they haven't," Kyoshi said. "I wouldn't feel right taking orders from a kid. I already know how that feels. I was under Uchiha Itachi when he was made a captain in Anbu. Barely thirteen. It was a bit unnerving."

"The kid was a genius," Asuma said though his face was hard set now. He threw Sakura a glance. "But if Gaara is even being considered, I'm sure that you are also a force to be reckoned with."

"The councilmen have their reasons for objecting to the idea but, by tomorrow night, we should have a new Kazekage," Gaara stated calmly.

"Tetsuya finally putting his foot down," Kankuro asked with a light smirk. Gaara simply nodded in response. Gaara's stoic expression and limited vocalization reminded Sakura more of Sasuke than seeing Itachi ever had. It made her heart clench in worry. She suddenly remembered the nightmare Sasuke had had that night very vividly. He blamed himself. It made Sakura understand more why he was so hungry for power. She didn't necessarily approve but did understand him better.

"Well, lets just hope that those ninja don't decide to come back again," Kyoshi said. "Wasting all of that time and energy just to ruffle some feathers. Sounds suspicious."

"True but things are already tense enough between Suna and Amegakure," Kankuro said. "We'll lead you up to your rooms so you can drop your stuff off then we'll head of to help with the reconstruction."

They walked through the halls of the Kazekage building slowly disappearing behind corners and doors. Soon, Temari pulled open a door and lead Sakura and Ino inside. "It's going to be a bit cramped but we'll make it work," Temari said as the girls put down their stuff on the two spare beds. Sakura made sure to get the bed beside the window.

Temari, Ino, and Sakura met up with the boys at the entrance to the Kazekage building. "Where's Gaara?" Temari asked Kankuro.

"He said he had to go and take care of something," Kankuro said. Temari furrowed her eyebrows but lead them silently towards the entrance of Suna. Sakura shot a nervous glance to where she felt Gaara's presence.

* * *

><p>The weasel had appeared again. Gaara had been waiting outside of Kankuro's room for the others to put away their things when he had looked out the window. At first he wished that he could just act as if he hadn't seen anything but the weasel had seen him. "I have other matters to attend to," Gaara told Kankuro. Kankuro gave him a curious look but simply nodded.<p>

Gaara quickly made his way down to the spot where he saw the weasel. He had to be a lot more cautious since it was daytime. He followed the weasel back to where they had talked the night before. "You realize it is highly dangerous to be meeting at this time," Gaara said.

"If it was so dangerous you wouldn't have bothered coming," Itachi calmly replied. "Hayashi is planning an attempt against your life." Gaara stayed silent. "He has been trying to hire missing nin to do the job but, luckily, you have made a name for yourself. Therefore he has been unsuccessful in finding anyone willing to take the job. Though there is one candidate that might decide to help; Hayashi is now planning an attack against the village itself."

"Was he behind the last attack?"

"No, that wasn't him. But he'll most likely use that as a cover-up. Everyone will just think that the same people who attacked the first time attacked the second time."

"I can't do much with this information," Gaara stated.

"I know. But it would be far to risky to have you send more troops to the place where Hayashi will be attacking from. Besides, they won't be much of a problem. Like I said, no one is to eager to go head-to-head with you. He'll be using the attack as a distraction and cover-up for your assassination."

"How do I know that you aren't the one that was hired to kill me," Gaara asked. His face and voice were completely void of emotion. Itachi frowned. There had been to many attempts on his life for him to put anymore importance on one more. It was depressing to know the type of childhood the boy had had.

"You'll just have to wait and see," Itachi responded. "This is all the information you should need. The attack will take place tomorrow before the meeting."

"All the information I need? Does that mean you know more than what you are telling me?" Gaara asked.

"Lying to you won't really earn me your trust, so, yes, I know more than what I am telling you," Itachi replied.

"And why shouldn't I know it," Gaara asked.

"Your going to be far to busy protecting this village and your own life to be able to deal with anything else. I'll tell you and Sakura the whole story once this is over."

"I don't think it is up to you to decide whether or not I need to know the information that you are withholding from me," Gaara said.

Itachi let out a sigh. "When you are named Kazekage and we have more meetings, I will tell you about anything and everything that implicates your village or yourself. This one time, though, it is far too dangerous for you to know all of the details. And, as I said, you will be to preoccupied. Your mind shouldn't be filled with more worries."

"All the details? What are you planning Uchiha?"

"You will find out once this is all over," Itachi repeated.

"For someone so eager to have the trust of another, you are doing very little to gain it."

"I'd tell you more if I knew that it would help the situation but right now I have other things I need to do," Itachi said.

"I repeat, it is not up to you what is important for me to know," Gaara told him.

"Well, you'll just have to trust me won't you," Itachi said. And without waiting for an answer he vanished.

* * *

><p>The only sounds in Tetsuya's office were the sound of his pen moving along the paper in front of him. It had been years since he had been taken of the active duty roster or participated in a fight, but that didn't mean he had stopped being a shinobi. No one ever left that title behind completely.<p>

"Come out of the shadows," he said calmly. He didn't bother to look up from his piece of paper. He heard light footsteps behind him but didn't look behind or stiffen at the sound. "If you've come to kill me, your doing a very poor job at it."

"I've come to warn you," the rough voice said from behind his mask.

"Warn me about what?" Tetsuya asked as he finally put down his pen.

"The _thing _under your protection is in danger," he replied. Tetsuya stiffened and quickly turned around but whoever had been there was long gone now. Tetsuya got to his feet and hurried out of his office.

* * *

><p>The Konoha ninja spent the rest of the day at the border helping reconstruct and reenforce the broken part. Sometimes Sakura would be helping with the actual building and others she would be sent of on guard duty. The air around the border was unusually tense. They seemed to be expecting another attack. Sakura wasn't at all used to working in such high temperatures but she kept her complaining down to a bare minimum.<p>

"Come on, let's head back," Asuma called out to them once the sun had set.

"They seem to be expecting another attack, don't they?" Kyoshi asked as he sat next to Sakura. They were all scattered right outside of the Kazekage Tower eating a small dinner.

"Yes, well, what did you expect? There was no clear objective to the first attack. One can only guess that they might not have been able to get what they truly wanted," Sakura replied.

"Think there is anything here worth getting," Kyoshi asked. Sakura gave him an incredulous look. "Other than the obvious like information on the ninja and special techniques. Usually stealth is better used for those things."

"No idea but it wouldn't come as a big surprise if they did. Besides, isn't that information already highly important," Sakura said. "Why so on edge?"

"Not sure, but something just doesn't feel right to me," Kyoshi answered. His eyes quickly scanned the area in front of him.

"Paranoid much," Sakura mumbled.

"That's just it. It's the people's paranoia that has me like this. Some of them are expecting something and that just makes me nervous. I think there was a different reason as to why Tsunade decided to send you guys here instead of another team."

Sakura didn't reply. Obviously there was another reason as to why they had been sent here. Itachi had wanted her close to Gaara when he told him the truth so Itachi had persuaded the Elders to put her team on this mission.

"And how can you expect me not to be paranoid," Kyoshi continued as he lowered his voice. "I know we have a treaty with them now and that their past betrayal was probably because of Orochimaru's persuasion, but I, as an Anbu-" Sakura raised an eyebrow-"alright, ex-Anbu. My point is that it's hard to ignore the fact that they played a roll in the assassination of the former Hokage."

"I understand what you mean but don't forget that they also lost a Kage and were betrayed by their ally."

"I know, I know," Kyoshi said. "I'm not trying to be jugdemental or anything. It's the truth though. No one ever really thought too highly of the recently deceased Kazekage."

"And yet you still have the nerve to say something negative about the 'recently deceased,'" Sakura scolded. Kyoshi simply shrugged his shoulders.

They fell into a comfortable silence and Sakura started to ponder everything that Kyoshi had said. Obviously, Itachi had wanted her around because of Gaara but now that she thought more about what Kyoshi said, maybe there was a reason that they were here that Itachi hadn't bothered to explain to her.

_"Well, now that you mention it..."_

_"What have you gotten me into?"_ Sakura asked.

_"Calm down, I just need a small favor,"_ Itachi said.

_"A favor? What _kind_ of favor?"_

_"I just need you to get some information for me,"_ he replied.

_"Information? From Suna? Are you crazy? I'm not exactly the best at stealth. Besides, if I get caught, then it could cause an international incident," _Sakura yelled at him. He had officially lost his mind.

_"I think I'm pretty sane, thank you very much. Don't worry so much. Security in this area of the building will be very thin right now,"_ Itachi tried to reassure her.

_"Why can't you go and get it?"_

_"I have somewhere else I need to be at the moment,"_ Itachi responded._ "And it will be good practice for you.'_

_"What are you up to,"_ Sakura asked, suspicious.

_"I'll explain everything once this is over. I don't have much time, so listen closely...Understood?"_

_"Yeah, though know that I will beg you for an explanation later,"_ Sakura replied.

_"Of course."_ Itachi's presence faded.

Sakura let out a heavy sigh as she stood up. "I think I'm going to turn in for the night," Sakura told Kyoshi. He simply nodded without looking at her. After she said goodnight to the others, Sakura made her way into the Kazekage's building, with Asuma's eyes glued to her back.

Sakura sat at her small bed with several folders and papers all over. The papers were mainly the mission reports on the incident concerning Takeshi. Before she left the village, she had collected everything that could possible have been committed by him and the files they had on him. She wasn't even sure why she still wanted to keep investigating Takeshi. He had managed to elude capture for the last three years.

Since he had left the village, Takeshi had allegedly committed many different crimes and murders throughout the ten major countries. No one had been able to find any connection to his crimes but that was to be expected. Many rogue ninja became mercenaries. If the clients kept changing, then there wouldn't be a clear connection with any of the victims. The only personal crime that he had seemed to have committed was the kidnapping of Aburame Shibi and attempted murder of Aburame Shino. Even that might have not been the direct cause for his actions.

Something still kept nagging at the back of Sakura's head. Takeshi had seemed at ease when he was fighting Isao and Kurenai. For someone who had lost their loved one, he didn't seem to eager at all to be the one that dealt the finishing blow. Other than being the master mind, he really hadn't been to involved with the mission. There were to many unanswered questions that surrounded Takeshi. All the more reason to investigate.

Temari and Ino's presence slowly started to ascend the stairs that lead to the rooms. Sakura gathered all of the papers and files and stuffed them in the backpack. Then she turned off the lights and got under her covers. Ino and Temari silently entered the room. Sakura heard them moving around in the room and then both of them climbing into their respective beds.

Sakura stayed awake trying to think of a plan in order to get what Itachi wanted. He seemed to know specifically what he wanted. She had absolutely no idea what exactly that was and was smart enough to know that she shouldn't go snooping around in the file when she got it. If she got it, that is. He had given her the location to the exact cabinet and folder it would be in. Sakura briefly wondered how in the world he himself knew the exact location-

And then it hit her. Mind reading! Why hadn't she thought of that sooner? Well, technically it wasn't just mind reading. It was mind control. Sakura didn't even have to get out of bed! All she had to do was to invade the guards' minds and have them take the file out themselves. She would, literally, not have to lift a finger. Sakura felt a great urge to pat herself on the back.

Though as she thought more about what she was about to do, she became more nervous. She had never used mind control to this extent. She had to be very careful in order not to draw any suspicion from the guards. But she also wasn't sure if she could control everyone's minds at once.

Sakura took one big breathe to calm her nerves. She stretched out her awareness and mentally went through the halls until she arrived outside the room that the file was in. Sakura was slightly surprised to find that there was only one guard outside the door. If Itachi wanted it, then she had thought that it would be something highly important. But they didn't seem to take to many precautions with it. Sakura should have been happy about that fact, though it only busted her curiosity towards what information was in that file.

Sakura slowly started to enter the man's mind. At first she did nothing but listen to his musings. _Where in the world had everyone else gone to? There were always at least two guards outside and one guard inside. Why did I have to be the one left behind this time? The others were probably sent on some important mission... God, I feel so tired. Nothing ever happens on guard duty. Maybe I can just close my eyes for a moment..._

Sakura continued to slowly have the man lose focus. She was risking a lot but it was the only way that she could think of in order to get him to entire the room and retrieve the file without him noticing what happened or having any suspicions about why he had blacked-out for a few minutes. Sakura had to create a barrier between the portion of his mind that was ruled by his subconsciouns and the portion where all the motion and commands were given.

Once she was positive that the man wouldn't be aware of anything, she had him move towards the door. A bit of rummaging through his head gave her the seals to open the door. Sakura carefully controlled his body towards the correct cabinet and then had him extract the file. Sakura felt a presence moving towards her. _Perfect timing,_ she thought. Sakura quickly moved the man back outside of the room, sealing the door. Before the other ninja rounded the corner, Sakura carefully entered his mind. She didn't hesitate as much this time to create an artificial memory to replace reality. She had the guard jolt awake before the patroller walked around the corner. In the men's mind, the patroller simple walked by with only a nod to acknowledge each other. But Sakura had the guard hand over the file to the patroller. She quickly looked around for his route.

She allowed the patroller to continue on his route until he was close enough to where the rooms were. The patroller changed directions and walked straight up to where Sakura and the others were sleeping. Sakura silently got out of bed and, slipping into Ino and Temari's minds to make sure they didn't wake up, she opened the door and got the folder from the man. The patroller walked back onto his original route and Sakura slowly let go of her hold on him. Sakura put the file in her backpack and then got back in bed. Her head was pounding from the strain of having to control those two people for such a long period of time. She would be paying for her little "short-cut" tomorrow morning.

* * *

><p>Itachi felt that some self praise was in order. Sure, he was usually the last one to celebrate a mission gone well. Especially when said mission still wasn't finished. But all the pieces were in place. Even if something went wrong, in the bigger scale of things, it wouldn't matter.<p>

So, with those thoughts in mind, Itachi sat calmly on the stool in front of the bar. He took another sip of his drink while he waited patiently; yet another testament to his good mood. In any other circomstance he could have been livid that he was being made to wait and the person had set the damn time himself.

As his mind began to wonder around to different topics while he waited, a frown took place on his face. Remembering back to that morning, Itachi felt a deep depression settle on his shoulders. He still couldn't live with it. He couldn't live with himself. For what he did and for the simple fact that he still breathed while they were deprived of that honor that every one around him took for granted.

He shook his head to push those memories out of his head before they consumed him. He needed to be focused on the conversation that he was about to have. "Sorry I'm late," a voice behind him said. Itachi made no indications that he had heard the man that had just sat to his left. The man didn't seemed bothered by the fact that Itachi was ignoring him. The man ordered his drink and hummed merrily while the bartender served him.

"Has he made contact yet?" Itachi asked, in a very business-like tone.

"Come on, Itachi," the man complained as he took a sip from his drink. "Haven't you ever heard of small talk?" A simple glare from Itachi made his last sentence a rhetorical question. "He has, obviously. Did you doubt your skills?" A short pause, the man awaiting an answer, and then he continued, "So I go do what he wants right?"

"What does he want you to do?"

"Exactly what you told me he would; he wants me to kill that Gaara kid," the man answered.

"Then, yes, do what he told you," Itachi answered.

"He won't be able to kill me right?" the man asked, a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, he won't. Just make sure that you get captured and rat out who hired you," Itachi said.

"Gotcha." The man hesitated for a moment. "So...You've sure kept me busy with all the different assignments all over the place. I can't figure out your end goal."

"You already know my end goal," Itachi stated.

"Okay, let me rephrase that. I don't know how everything you're having me do is going to get you there."

"Good," Itachi said. "If you can't put two and two together, then neither will someone else." Itachi stood and threw some bills on the counter. "Don't mess up tomorrow."

"Don't worry about me; I'll be fine," the man said with a sly smile on his face. Itachi glared at him and then left the bar. Now all there was left to do was to wait and watch the fireworks tomorrow.


	31. Trepidation

**I know, this took way too long. I apologize. But thanks to everyone who added this story as a favorite. And thank you Jacqueline for the review!**

Chapter 31 Trepidation

Sakura slowly turned her head to look at the clock on the wall. It was two in the morning and she had hardly slept. Her headache was finally beginning to subside but she still couldn't find sleep. She hadn't had a problem sleeping in a very long time. Sure, the constant nightmares would wake her up in the middle of the night but she could usually fall right back to sleep. Her days and nights were long and always wore her out. Of course she would want to take advantage of the few hours of sleep she got.

But now she couldn't even get that. It had been a tiring day though not nearly as exhausting as her other days were. For once, her mind wasn't filled with a long list of things that needed to get done. And she really didn't like the emptiness in her mind. It only gave her time to ponder things that she would rather forget. Sakura looked over at the bed where Ino was lying in. She remembered all of the times that she had cried when she was a little kid. Someone would simply have to say a slight insult at her and she would be bawling. Even when she became a ninja, she was still a crybaby. Now, after everything that had happened and everything that she had come to know, she felt ashamed. She had been seeing the world in a self-centered and black-and-white version of what it truly was. Whenever she heard someone being accused of seeing the world as rainbows and butterflies, she would laugh at that person. She would arrogantly presume that the person was an idiot and that she wasn't blind.

But she was probably the most blind out of everyone.

Before Itachi entered her life, what did she have to complain about? Nothing. Sure, she had parents and family that didn't seem to care about her and would always insult her but was that so bad? Obviously Sakura still cared for them since it hurt her so greatly when they were killed. But other than that, what? Sasuke didn't pay her enough attention? Yeah, the world was going to end. A bitter smile made its way onto Sakura's lips. She was a fool. She hadn't known what it meant to feel pain or loneli-

_"All alone...the sadness of having a parent yell at you is nowhere near what he feels." _

Sasuke's words cut through her line of thought like a cold, hard knife. He was right. Wasn't he always?

... No, Sasuke wasn't always right. He had is faults. He made mistakes. Everybody does. It was simply her childish mind that wanted to believe that he was perfect. But, before he left, Sakura realized that he wasn't, and she accepted him. Though he was most definitely right when he said that she knew nothing about being alone and that she was annoying. She couldn't argue with that. She had always been weak.

Especially when she was a kid. Once she met Ino, she slowly become more confident in her own ability. But even then she was just simply following in the footsteps of someone else, aiming to be someone else. She was never really being her true self. She tried to be just like all of the other fangirls that flocked Sasuke. She pretended to disapprove of wrong-doings and acted all high-and-mighty.

Maybe...maybe if she had been herself...maybe Sasuke would have taken notice of her. Maybe he wouldn't have found her so annoying and actually approved of her.

_Alright, if- No! _When_ Sasuke returns to the village, I will no longer hide behind a mask. I'll be myself around him and hope that he'll at least acknowledge me as a friend. In the mean time, I'll stop acting around my friends right now._

Sakura let out a heavy sigh. Maybe some fresh air would do her some good. Without thinking of how it would look that a visiting nin was prowling around the Kazekage building late at night, she slowly stood up and left the room. She wandered around the halls until she found a small window. It was obvious to her that she wouldn't be able to find her way outside so she settled for a view instead.

"It's not safe to be wondering around at this time of hour," a voice behind her said. Sakura spun around. She hadn't even sensed his mind's presence before he spoke. And it shocked her to no end that Gaara was standing right in front of her. A memory of him coming at her when he was semi-transformed popped into her mind but she quickly pushed it away. He wasn't that same Gaara anymore. Naruto had changed him. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't sleep," Sakura shyly responded. A slight furrowing of his eyebrows were the only outward signs that he didn't trust her.

"I thought you would be meeting with him," Gaara said. He said it casually, without even an emphasis on the him. Sakura decided it was best not to beat around the bush.

"No, I wasn't," she responded.

"I thought you loved Sasuke," Gaara suddenly stated. Sakura blinked a few times. Sakura opened her mouth to respond but then she was suddenly swallowed up by...something. It was the same feeling she got when she was in the Uchiha compound.

_A small little boy with red hair held up a ball to a group of children. "Ga-gaara!" one girl screamed out._

_"It's Gaara of the sand!" another yelled._

_"Run for it!" The children quickly started to run in the opposite direction._

_"Wait!" the little boy screamed out while stretching out his hand. _Don't leave me alone!_ Sand rushed towards the nearest boy causing him to trip._

_"Help!" the boy screamed out. _I don't want to be alone anymore._ Gaara watched on as the sand rushed towards the boy again, that phrase running through his head. Before the sand was able to reach the child someone got in front of him._

_"Lord Gaara, please clam yourself down," the man who had intervened screamed. Gaara stared at the man in shock._

Quickly, Sakura saw a scene of when Guy defended Lee and then when she herself defended Sasuke. Sakura blinked a few times. She looked up and just then noticed that she was sitting on the floor, panting for breath. The emotions of that memory left her breathless even though, somehow, she could tell that they weren't being thrown at her to their fullest extent. Gaara was looking down at her with a hesitant and confused look.

Why had that memory ambushed her mind? Gaara had simply asked if she loved Sasuke so why-Realization came to her. Gaara had thought she loved Sasuke because of the time when she put her life on the line to defend him. That had triggered one of his own memories and, apparently, the strong emotions had sucked Sakura in. But why did that keep happening to her?

Once she was able to calm her breathing, Sakura asked, "Why do you doubt that?"

"Because you are helping the person that took everything away from him," Gaara said after a short pause. His tone was even and emotionless. All it did was unnerve her. Especially after having been inside his head. So he hadn't always been so cold and heartless, even if it was just his demeanor. It reminded her of the sweet little boy with big dreams that she had seen in Itachi's memories.

Sakura slowly got to her feet and supported herself against the wall. She didn't know whether to feel insulted or grateful that Gaara asked nothing of her little anxiety attack."The past can't be changed. And, as I'm sure he told you, he had very important reasons for doing what he did." It took a lot more than she would like to admit to formulate coherent thoughts, let alone sentences. And it took even more effort to not close the distance between them and envelope Gaara in a tight hug. The little boy's voice kept repeating "I don't want to be alone" over and over again in her head. It made her heart clench in pain. Yes, she most definitely didn't know real pain. But damn her and her stupid, oversensitive heart. This was Gaara she was talking about!

"What are you planning to do about the assassination planned for tomorrow?" Gaara asked.

"Assassination?" Sakura asked, completely shocked.

"He didn't tell you," Gaara stated rather than asked. "Apparently, one of the councilmen has ordered a rogue ninja to try and kill me."

_The same little boy was sitting on the ledge of a building overlooking Suna. He was lost deep in thought until his sand shot up behind him, stopping many kunai's that had been aimed at him. Gaara turned around shocked and slightly confused. _What? Why? Why me...? Only me!_ Gaara's expression quickly turned angry as the sand rushed towards the ninja and vitally wounded him._

_The small boy stood, trembling with fear and panic as he watched the shinobi bleed to death._

"Haruno." Gaara's strong voice pulled her back to reality. He was kneeling next to her- she had somehow ended back on the floor- with furrowed eyebrows. "Why do you keep collapsing?" he asked.

"I-to be completely honest, I'm not sure," Sakura responded. "You sound pretty calm for someone who is a target in an assassination attempt." She was more than thankful for her new found mental powers. Without them, there was almost no way that she would have been able to remember the flow of conversation and push the new thoughts and emotions to the back of her mind. Yet again, without them maybe she wouldn't be sucked into ever single painful memory.

"You didn't know?" Gaara asks as he straightened up. Sakura followed his lead.

"No," Sakura answered. "I doubt Itachi will actually let you die, though, so you don't have too much to worry about."

"I can handle it myself," Gaara quickly responded. _Guess you don't have to be an Uchiha to have an infuriating pride. _

_That's men for you, _ Inner Sakura commented.

"I know you can," Sakura said. She berated herself when she realized how bitter her voice had sounded.

"I should've killed you," Gaara calmly stated. Without second thought, Sakura took a step back. It didn't matter what new powers she had unlocked or how many of the ninja world's most bloodthirsty killers Sakura had met, the blank stare Gaara gave her, the emotionally detached tone that his voice took on, and the simple fact that he could easily change that statement from "should've" to "did" made Sakura's blood run cold. "In the forest, when you stood between me and Uchiha."

Sakura remembered that. How could she ever forget? Seeing Sasuke on the floor, in pain, made her heart clench. The sight of Sasuke when he had let the curse mark take over plagued her mind at that moment. All she had wanted to do was protect him, to stop his suffering. She didn't even want to think about what could have happened if she hadn't been able to get in front of him fast enough.

"Then I guess I should count myself lucky," Sakura said. She had been about to ask why he hadn't killed her but then the pieces fell into place. He had thought back to that ninja saving those kids from him and to Guy protecting Lee. Sakura wouldn't have known the reason if she hadn't already been forced to experience that moment inside of him.

A long and awkward silence spread out between them.

"I-I guess I should go back to bed," Sakura slowly spoke. Gaara didn't comment but simply began to walk down the hallway. "You know," Sakura suddenly found herself saying, "we really won't have much of a choice but to work together in order to survive." Gaara had stopped walking but otherwise made no sign that he had actually heard her. Silence enveloped them once again.

"It will involve more than just _our_ survival," Gaara finally said, though he didn't look at her. Once that was said, he was gone. Sakura let out a breathe and walked towards her room. It was not going to be easy to interact with him.

* * *

><p>Sakura lay asleep on her bed. The exhaustion from using her mind ability so much and the memories she shared with Gaara had left her with a severe headache. But her sleep was not peacefully. Sakura kept tossing and turning in her bed.<p>

_Pain. Pain was the only thing that she could register. She needed to get away but her chakra levels were too low, her injuries far too grave. The hours spent in the room were always characterized with waiting, waiting to see what he would do next, and the inescapable pain. The door creaked open once more._

_A flash of orange was all Sakura needed to see in order to have her body trembling with fear._

Sakura awoke with a start. The dreams had subsided. The memories hadn't haunted her every waking hour.

But they were back. They would never truly leave her.

* * *

><p>It was late at night yet there were still some lights on in Konoha. A lone figure watched over Konoha. The exact same spot had been occupied by two Akatsuki members on the day of the Third's funeral. He had been tempted to come back on that day. But, for once, his logic had won and he had locked himself up in his temporary quarters as the rain pounded on the Earth. He had been able to resist coming back then, so why couldn't he resist now?<p>

He shouldn't be there. It was too risky. All it would do was bring back the memories and regret that he had tried so hard to forget. It wasn't healthy for him to linger in the past

But he needed to see this once more. While he was still a whisper of the person he used to be. Com tomorrow, he would no longer even have the slightest chance to return. He would no longer be allowed to dwell on his mistakes or sins. He would soon be making many more.

One last longing sight. Didn't he deserve at least that? He would be burdened by his mistakes. He would pay for his sins.

One last indulgence.

One last look at what could have been.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Forehead," a voice yelled out. "Get up!"<p>

Sakura slowly opened her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep much. Nightmares had haunted her mind. And she hadn't seen Sasuke...

She didn't bother with any pleasantries. The girls in the room would just think she was too grumpy to be polite. The truth was that she was still lost inside of her own thoughts, her memories. Short fragments of her long week with a certain Uchiha had played over and over in her head. Even when she was awake she didn't have enough power to actually push the memories back. The pounding headache was only proof that she had still tried.

After a short breakfast with the rest of the team, they headed out to the border once more. There was high tension between her and Gaara. They had barely stepped outside of the Kazekage Tower when an elder man walked up to them. "Ah, Gaara-sama," the man greeted. "Some changes have been made. We need to make our way towards the meeting room immediately." Gaara glanced over at Sakura and their eyes locked for a a few milliseconds before Gaara stiffly nodded and turned to walk into the building once more. Things were already being put in motion.

"God, I would love to be a fly in the wall in that room," Kankuro murmured as they started walking once more. This time as they walked through the village, they saw many more Konoha shinobi. Not nearly enough for any type of assault but enough that it made an impression on the villagers in Suna. Sakura didn't even pretend to be listening to the conversations around her. Luckily for her, no one tried to talk with her. Even Kyoshi seemed much more interested in what Asuma was saying at the moment to pay her any mind.

Sakura preferred it that way. She was tempted to slip into Gaara's head in order to see what was happening but found that much too invasive. Sakura shielded her eyes from the hot sun as she looked up at the clear skies. Konoha would already have started to feel a chill in the air at this time of year, but it seemed that Suna wouldn't feel any drop in temperatures until the sun was hidden away.

For the rest of their walk to the borders, Sakura became more and more nervous. It could be very likely that at any given moment someone could attack. She had to be patient. She needed to be ready.

* * *

><p>They had kicked him out. He was not offended. Gaara had expected them to do this at some point in the meeting. The councilmen had listed their nominees and asked for his opinions on all of them before asking him to leave the room. It had been more than he was expecting. It was more than evident that Hayashi had wanted to keep him out from the beginning.<p>

He would soon be called in to make his vote, completely unaware of how everyone else had voted, though Tetsuya would be quick to inform him. Gaara had put much thought in the matter. The village's well being depended on who they chose to govern. No one blamed them for taking so long. It was an important decision. And the men inside were very stubborn.

* * *

><p>"Thanks," Sakura murmured as she grabbed the canteen full of water.<p>

"No problem," the girl, Matsuri, replied. "You guys don't seem used to the heat," she commented.

"Not at this time of year, no," Sakura replied. She liked the girl. She had short brown hair and a pretty face. Sakura had liked the girl since the first time they'd met. She was a very amiable person.

"Does it usually snow every year?" Matsuri asked with a very excited expression.

"During winter, yes, it gets very cold," Sakura responded.

"I've never seen the snow," Matsuri murmured.

"It's a beautiful sight," Sakura told her. She gave the girl one last smile before turning back to help the others build the destroyed wall. If things kept pace, they should be done by mid-afternoon. But Sakura knew that things wouldn't continue to go so smoothly for the rest of the day. According to Gaara, Itachi knew about the assassination attempt and felt like things were under control. So there shouldn't be too much danger involved. But she couldn't be completely sure about that.

"I hope I can get to see the snow one day," Matsuri mumbled, more to herself than Sakura. Sakura gave a short nod, hardly listening to the girl now. She bent down to pick up another block but quickly froze. Sakura turned over to look at the horizon. She slowly straightened her back. Something was wrong. Matsuri came out of her daydream and furrowed her brows when she saw Sakura stiff and staring off into the horizon. "Is everything alright?" Matsuri asked.

Her voice was a low buzz in Sakura's ears. She kept staring off into the horizon, unsure of what she was looking for. Her senses were on edge, her muscles tense.

Then the sun glinted off of something.

Sakura pushed Matsuri to the floor as a kunai flew through the spot where her head had been. It embedded itself in the barrier. Ninja all around started dropping bricks to the floor and taking out weapons. Sakura rose to her hands and knees, still over Matsuri, who was dazed and confused. Another kunai came whizzing towards Sakura. Without realizing what she was doing, Sakura took out her own kunai and deflected the incoming weapon.

And then they attacked.

Ninja covered in masks started to appear out of the sand. Metal clashing against metal could be heard all around. She jumped to her feet and then bent down to pull Matsuri in one quick motion. An enemy nin popped up in front of them and Sakura was about to throw a punch when the world went black.

Darkness.

Loneliness.

Complete numbness.

Matsuri saw Sakura's eyes glaze over and she quickly pushed the pink haired ninja away and drew her weapon. The enemy nin didn't seem to hesitate. He attacked Matsuri and they started exchanging blows and weapons.

Sakura blinked a few times. The sand was rough under her bare limbs. Her mind was in a daze. What had just happened? Someone had died. But why had she felt it? She hadn't been in anyone's head at that time. Death started to invade her head again and she used all her willpower to push it out of her head.

Getting to her feet, Sakura saw Matsuri trying to fend off two opponents. Sakura rushed over and took on one of the masked nin. Matsuri threw her an anxious glance but was quickly observed in her own fight. The ninja wasn't overpowering and she should have been able to defeat him easily enough. She had seen three openings but had hesitated to take them all three times. If she killed her opponent, would Death consume her once again?

It was a frightening prospect and, as a ninja, one she should have already have come to terms with. But this was completely different. It wasn't over once Death grabbed hold. It could keep coming back.

People feared Death because they didn't know what it would be like.

Sakura feared Death because she knew exactly what it was like.

* * *

><p>When he heard a pair of hurried and frantic footsteps running down the hall, he wasn't surprised. The door in front of him had been about to open when a low rank ninja turned a corner. "Gaara-sama," the ninja exclaimed. Baki, who had been about to usher Gaara back into the meeting, looked at the man with a serious face. "The border...we're under attack." And then he vanished in a puff of smoke.<p>

Gaara pushed himself off the wall and looked at Baki, awaiting instructions. Baki's words changed the course of Gaara's life. "What will you have us do, Kazekage-sama?" Baki asked, in a monotone voice. Gaara allowed himself a few seconds of silence.

"Send reinforcements to the site and reinforce the other points. Get the medical teams to start evacuating the village." He was the previous Kazekage's son. Baki had been teaching him military strategy since he could read. Baki gave a quick nod and then also vanished. All the councilmen in the room were murmuring amongst themselves.

"We'll leave the discussion on your restrictions for later," Tetsuya said as he appeared at the entrance. "We can't give you full reign at such a young age but, with your skill, it won't take long to persuade these geezers to give you your rightful title." Gaara nodded. The only way he had not been asked to vote was if his vote wouldn't have made a difference.

Gaara was about to walk away and join the battlefield when the sound of his sand rushing out of his gourd stopped him. "So the ultimate defense is as good as I've heard," a voice behind him said. Gaara slowly turned around. His sand had started to pool at his feet.

"Who are you?" he asked the ninja. He was in an all-black stealth suit and a black mask covered his face. He was standing with a relaxed pose. Tetsuya had been pushed against the wall by one of his guards.

"That's not important right now," the man said. "What's important is that you are the Fifth Kazekage. I am honored to be the first one to attempt to kill you." The kunai dug into Gaara's sand and everyone noticed in time that there was a paper bomb attached to the end of it. The explosion blew open a huge hole in the side of the Kazekage building. Civilians and ninja alike stopped to look up as the smoke billowed out of the building. The assassin came flying out of the smoke, followed by rushing sand.

Gaara jumped out of the building and landed on the streets of the village. He watched with calculating eyes as the sand tried to trap the masked-man. He ignored the people running away from him. He knew they weren't trying to avoid getting dragged into the crossfire. They were running away in case he lost control.

And they were in the right to run.

Shukaku was fighting. Gaara was surprised by the strength by which he was trying to let loose. He had been able to suppress Shukaku in the battles he'd had since Naruto. But for some reason, today he was more eager to taste blood. He had, apparently, been deprived of blood for long enough.

"Is this the best you've got," the ninja taunted him. Gaara furrowed his eyebrows. The ninja wanted to kill him, not the other way around. So why was he on the defensive? Gaara lifted his hand to increase the power of his sand. The ninja kept hoping from roof to roof, showing his commendable speed. As Gaara moved his hand to follow the ninja's movements, he vanished. His sand reacted before he could and stopped the kick that was aimed at him. Gaara heard a grunt of pain.

Gaara turned to look at his opponent. He had moved back a few meters. The ninja was leaning heavily on his left leg. Gaara didn't look down. He couldn't let himself look at the blood. It was already perfuming the air. His sand moved, restless, at his feet. Shukaku had had his taste of blood. Now, he wanted more.

* * *

><p>Sakura narrowly avoided getting stabbed by another kunai as she jumped backwards. Then, she felt it. It was a dark, evil aura that was spreading across the area. No one else seemed affected by it but her senses were being overwhelmed. It was a bloodlust that could compete with Hidan's own bloodlust. It made her dizzy. Her body was too slow to react and received a blow to the face that sent her flying backwards. That didn't help her already disoriented mind.<p>

Sakura pushed herself off the sand and took a quick glance around her. The ninja that had attacked were not very skilled. But they had only managed to kill one of them. Sakura saw Asuma fighting with four of the enemy nin. He embedded a kunai into one of the men's right shoulders. Sakura let out a loud gasp and her hand flew up to her own right shoulder. For a minute, she had believed that her distraction had just caused her a serious injury. When she looked down at the wound, she saw nothing. There was no blood and the initial pain was completely gone.

Multiple puffs caught her attention and she looked up again. All the enemy nin had retreated. Both Sand and Leaf shinobi stood in a daze as they tried to make sense of what had just happened. It had been a short, quick, and, overall, ineffective attack. What was the point in it?

Sakura moved her gaze back over to the village as she felt another sharp wave of malicious intent wash over her. It felt...familiar. But she had never experienced anything like this in all her life. "You okay?" Sakura looked to her right and saw Kyoshi running towards her. The shinobi around her started muttering and whispering. Sakura numbly nodded her head.

"What's going on?" another voice asked. A group of Sand shinobi, reinforcements no doubt, had just arrived. A shinobi that was standing closest to the new group opened her mouth to respond but a loud explosion from the center of the village distracted everyone.

Without waiting for orders, Sakura took of running. She vaguely took notice of Kankuro and Temari running alongside her. Things were supposed to go smoothly. But the strange and vicious aura that was radiating throughout the village made her feeling uneasy.

As they neared the location where smoke was billowing up into the air, the three shinobi could hear the sounds of conflict. Sakura tried to keep her breakfast down and her vision clear, but it was becoming more and more difficult as they neared the fight. It was physically painful to keep getting closer to the murderous aura. It was different then being overwhelmed by an opponents killing intent. This was so much more powerful. She could feel it as if she was inside of that person.

Temari and Kankuro passed her as they rushed closer to Gaara. He was still trying to capture his opponent, but, even to Sakura, he seemed to be slower than he should be. His body was tense and there was a thin sheet of sweat on his face.

Sakura had only seen Gaara fight twice and he had never seemed so...wearied. It was as if he was worried about using his full power. Just like she had been unwilling to kill anyone because of the pain it would cause her.

A tug on her consciousness was all the warning she got before she felt herself being hauled out of her body. Sakura blinked and the entire scene was changed. No longer was she out in the middle of Suna watching Gaara fight his assassin. Now she was in an empty room. The walls were bare and grimy. The ceiling was so high that she couldn't see it. It stretched out to far for her to be able to tell how wide it was. With its enormous size, Sakura felt claustrophobic. She felt smothered and her breathing was labored. She turned around in all directions trying to find what had gone wrong or a way to escape, but there was nothing. As she turned towards the other side of the room yet again, Sakura saw Gaara kneeling on the floor. Without thinking, Sakura walked towards him. He was clutching his head and breathing heavily.

"I need blood!" Sakura froze a few feet away from Gaara. The voice seemed to have come from all around her. She couldn't pinpoint its location. Sakura had felt the hatred and hunger in that voice.

"No." Sakura's gaze moved back to Gaara. His voice was weak and low.

"Kill him!" The voice shouted. Gaara's body began to tremble. He appeared to be curling in on himself. That's when everything clicked. The monster inside Gaara was trying to break free and Gaara was weakened trying to fight him off. Sakura knelt down in front of Gaara and placed her hands on top of his. His eyes shot up to look at her. Sakura tried to give him a reassuring smile but she knew it looked more like a grimace. Sakura had no idea what she was doing but she knew she had to help him. So, like so many times before, Sakura acted on instinct alone. Sakura saw her hands glow green as she slowly lent Gaara energy. It was similar to how she calmed Sasuke in his dreams but not completely the same. The concept of time was lost to the two of them as they continued to kneel on the ground. At first, the cries grew louder and stronger, but they slowly started to fade away. The monster was still there, screaming fighting, but they could no longer sense it.

Without any preamble, Sakura found herself back in the streets of Suna. She staggered over to the closest structure and leaned against it. Her limbs felt like they weighed tons and her mind was spinning. After a few blinks, her vision finally came to her. Ninjas and civilians were mingled in a crowd in front of her. She had no idea what was going on beyond the mass of people. All the voices melded into incoherent murmurs. Sakura couldn't bring herself to focus on any particular voice. She had used up more chakra than she had thought. A wave of dizziness overtook her and for a few seconds her senses seized operating. Sakura stood still until it passed.

She should move, push her way through the crowd, and find out what had happened. But she had close to no chakra left and no desire to explain to anyone how that had happened. A tingling in her head alerted her to Itachi's presence. _A man will walk up to you in ten seconds. Let him take care of everything._ Then he was gone. Sakura felt a strong grip on her hand and it scared her that she didn't even flinch. The person pulled her of the wall and dragged her away from the crowd. Sakura let herself be taken away. It's not like she could have fought them either way.


	32. Meetings

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Chapter 32 Meetings

Ippei stumbled down the dimly lit hallway. He was carrying a stack of folders in his hands. He could barely see over the top of the pile. Papers were sticking out at random spots. Ippei kept fumbling with his papers trying his hardest not to trip over a rock. The ground was uneven and was prone to having random dips.

It was rare to meet another person in these halls. The number of people in this base was few. There were probably around fifty people in the entire base. Many thought that it was to dangers here. They were paranoid, more than anything, but nonetheless the paranoia was understandable.

A bare, wooden door finally came into view on his right side. Ippei's glasses had been sliding down his nose the entire journey. Now he had to tilt his head up in order to see clearly. Ippei turned to face the door and stood there for a few moments. So, how was he going to open the door?

He pushed his chin down on the folders to try and keep them in place. He shifted the weight of the files over to his left hand and slowly stretched out three fingers towards the door, trying to keep hold of the files with his thumb and pinky. The cool metal of the doorknob assured him he was near his goal. Ippei tried to gain a good hold of the knob before attempting to twist it.

"I'm sure that's going to turn out just fine," a voice spoke from behind him.

"I would greatly appreciate it if you didn't do that," Ippei calmly said as he continued to try and open the door.

"And here I thought you would greatly appreciate me opening the door. Guess I was wrong." The owner of the voice moved to lean against the side of the door where Ippei had a clear view of him. Kohaku was all lean muscle with shaggy brown hair. He wore a large, deep red scarf that covered everything a few centimeters below his eyes, along with his neck and shoulders. Ippei had known him for years, and he trusted the man with his life, but he had never seen him without that scarf on, even when they fought. A long sleeved, brown shirt, baggy pants with what appeared to be dozens of pockets, and the standard shinobi shoes made up the rest off his attire.

Kohaku was obviously amused by Ippei's vain efforts to open the door. Ippei let a few more tense seconds slip by, then he let out a deep sigh and moved away from the door. Kohaku was grinning under that scarf he just knew it.

"Shouldn't you be in there already?" Ippei asked to try and hide his embarrassment.

"Why would I be so eager to enter a room where everyone wants to eat me alive?" Kohaku inquired.

"Where did you run of to last night?" Ippei had only noticed because he had gone looking for him all throughout the base. Ippei wished he hadn't asked, at least not when they had no time to discuss it. Kohaku was stiff as he pushed himself off the wall and grabbed the doorknob.

"Star gazing," Kohaku answered before opening the door. Noise engulfed the hallway. Kohaku stepped aside so Ippei could enter first. He slowly entered the room, knowing that they wouldn't leave it for quite some time.

Ippei stayed near the door as Kohaku entered and closed the door behind him. A long table stretched out in front of them. Papers were scattered all over the place. People were all discussing with one another with no semblance of order. Some were standing at the table, standing, or seated all around the room. Charts, pictures, articles, and maps were plastered onto every inch of wall available. Ippei wouldn't even be able to remember what color the walls were if it wasn't for the unoccupied ceiling. On the other end of the room was a huge white board filled with random writing. Sometimes, Ippei felt like all the symbols made up a different language than the one they were used to. To their left sat boxes full of provisions. On their right were two doors that led to the bathrooms. A quick scan around the room confirmed that everyone was present.

No one had seemed to notice their arrival yet. Kohaku walked across the room. The people who recognized him stopped talking and watched him. Kohaku paid no attention to the slow silence that filled every part of the room he walked by. Once he was at the white board, Kohaku calmly took the wipe and started erasing everything that had been on it. Ippei quietly made his way towards the table and set his pile of files down. No one noticed his movements. Ippei separated the piles in two so they wouldn't topple over.

Kohaku turned and took his seat at the head of the table once the white board was spotless. Everyone quickly followed his example. There were no assigned seats. No clear distinction of power between the group other than Kohaku's obvious leadership. Kohaku looked around the room and his eyes settled on one person. "On the matter of trading partners, how are relations with the small villages proceeding?" Kohaku asked.

"Quite well," Taikan answered. Taikan was in charge of anything having to do with other rogue ninja groups or the nations. He was shorter than most men and had short blond hair. But he more than deserved his position. Taikan could read people like an open book and handle any situation thrown at him. He had previously belonged to Iwagakure. "Your proposal certainly sped things up."

"He's right," Hachiro affirmed. "By sending in men to do charitable work around the villages, we have secured a rather large amount of unexpected income. Merchants give men discounts or better products."

"A lot of the men from the villages have even inquired about joining us," Ippei spoke up. A satisfied murmur arose in the room. "The majority of these files are their applications."

"Make sure you keep things quiet," Kohaku warned. "It would set us back if the villages started getting a whiff of this."

"So far, only the other rogue ninjas and oppressed villagers have heard of it," Ippei reported. "The men know to be discrete and the villagers have no inclination to report anything to the officials."

"The main reason we began with small, oppressed villages," Kohaku reminded them. "What about our ability to start investing?"

"We still don't have enough surplus to make any noticeable investments," Hachiro began, "but if things keep progressing at this rate, then I think it would be safe to start sending people to survey the fields we might invest in."

"Good, then every branch can start writing proposals about which projects we should consider." Kohaku said. "Akatsuki's leader rules over Amegakure. Do we know whether it was actually them that attacked Suna a few days ago?"

"From what we have gathered, we believe that it wasn't Amegakure. But the investigation is on going," Ippei said.

"I don't take Akatsuki for fools to pick a fight with a village like Suna," Hachiro stated.

"Suna isn't at its strongest, though," Ippei reminded them. "What is most interesting is that, if it was Amegakure, they did nothing to disguise themselves."

"Maybe they wanted Suna to know it was them," Kioko, one of the few females in the room, suggested. "A simple reminder that they existed."

"Uchiha has told us that Amegakure had nothing to do with it, but I would still like to check that fact," Kohaku said.

"You don't think _he_ had anything to do with this?" a lower ranked official asked. A heavy atmosphere fell on the room.

"If _he_ has attempted something so big, then we need to speed up our progress," Kohaku said in a tense tone. "Ippei, it would be best if you go to the southern base and see what you can do there." Ippei nodded but Kohaku's attention seemed to be focused on something else. "There was an attempt on Gaara's life."

"By whom?" Taikan asked.

"Keizo hasn't being able to report anything more about the attack," Ippei reported.

"No surprise that everyone is going after Suna at the moment," Kohaku said. "Itachi requested to have Keizo help one of his own operatives in Suna."

"I doubt he said anything about who needed help," Taikan asked.

"Not sure, but either way, we agreed to keep the identities of infiltrators secret," Kohaku reminded them. "Keizo will report back to us by the end of the day. We'll know then."

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. "Enter," Kohaku called. A young woman quickly entered the room and handed a scroll to Kohaku then just as quickly departed. Kohaku read over the scroll. "Gaara has just been made Kazekage," he announced. A few people bothered to nod at the news but most were unsurprised. It was what they had all expected.

"I wonder how the villagers will react," Kioko contemplated.

"We'll know more when Keizo gives a full report. So, how has the training been advancing?"

And the meeting continued.

* * *

><p>Sakura had blindly followed whomever it was that Itachi had sent. She was completely disoriented and her vision kept blurring. Time become an elusive concept as they continued to walk through the streets. Sakura wasn't even sure if she had remained conscious throughout the entire trip. The hot humid air of Suna was quickly changed to a cool and moist atmosphere. The rapid difference in weather further confused her senses. She closed her eyes and tried to take even breathes.<p>

"Come on," a male voice muttered. "You need to sit down before you collapse." The voice was too loud. Sakura was lucky her mind registered his words though she was too out of wits to feel insulted. Smooth, cold wood was suddenly holding her up and the hand left her.

Her head felt like it had been repeatedly bashed into a concrete wall. She blinked a few times to try and get her vision to clear. Sakura could sense another presence in the room but ignored it. "What's your name?" Again, the voice seemed too loud.

Somehow she managed to reply, "Sakura."

"Of course it is," the man said, a bit sarcastic. "Well, Sakura, you can stay here as long as you like. I'm usually the only one that comes to the greenhouses. But your team will notice your absence sooner or later." There were shuffling noises nearby her. "Your going to need to replenish your chakra before you leave."

"I just," Sakura began but a sharp burst of pain in her temple cut her off. Sakura rested her elbows on her knees and clutched her head in her hands. "I just need some time to collect myself."

The man seemed to ignore her attempt to keep her dignity. "I didn't expect Akame to have someone so young working for him," Keizo commented, more to himself than her. The clatter of utensils against a wooden surface forced Sakura to focus on his words a bit more than should have been necessary.

"Akame?" Sakura asked confused.

"That's his codename, or, at least, that's what we call him," Keizo explained. _Akame? Red eye?...Oh! _

"Original," Sakura muttered.

"Oh and Sakura's very creative," Keizo muttered. Sakura's lips lifted a little. She finally felt it safe to look up and open her eyes. Standing before her was a man around Hideo's age, early twenties. His hair resembled Gaara's in style and color. He was wearing normal civilian clothes. "Feeling better," Keizo asked as he glanced up from his work. He was grinding some type of plant into a bowl.

"A bit," Sakura responded. She glanced around the greenhouse to find very few plants actually there. Compared to Konoha's supply of medical herbs, the place was pitiful at best. "Thanks," she added.

"Just repaying a favor," Keizo said.

"Who's 'we'?" Sakura asked, remembering his previous comment. That question seemed much less intrusive than asking what favor he was repaying. Keizo furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and then seemed to understand.

"You should ask Akame that," was his only reply. Sakura nodded, acting like she wasn't extremely curious. Or even a bit hurt. More secrets? Truthfully, she should have been expecting that. After everything she had learned, one would think Sakura would realize that she didn't know everything and no one was supposed to tell her. In a ninja's life, secrets were everywhere. Secrets even kept one alive at times.

"Are you a medical nin?" Sakura asked as she saw his skilled movements with the herbs.

"Yes, though I work more on research," Keizo said. "This is my last week here at Suna. They don't have much to offer when it comes to medical plants or research papers."

"What are you researching," Sakura asked.

"I'm working on regenerative potions," he answered. He handed the mixture of herbs in the bowl to Sakura. She looked at it distrustfully for a few seconds before hesitantly taking the bowl. "Eat it," Keizo instructed. "It should replenish some of your chakra." Sakura slowly dipped two fingers into the bowl and began to suck on them. The paste itself tasted horrible but that was to be expected. She forced herself to continue to eat it when she didn't drop dead after a few moments. Sakura was about to ask more about his research when the door opened and in came a small boy around six years of age. The similarities between him and Keizo were unmistakable. The boy was startled when he saw Sakura and slowly walked over to Keizo. He grabbed on to his leg and hid most of his body behind it.

"Don't worry, Kinjo, she's a friend," Keizo told the little boy.

"Hi, Kinjo," Sakura said warmly. Sakura loved kids and this one was adorable. She momentarily ignored the fact that the kid was frightened by her. Kinjo stared at her for a few more seconds before looking up at Keizo. Kinjo made a few quick hand gestures.

"No, she's just passing by," Keizo answered. "Why don't you go inside?" The little boy nodded again and walked out of the greenhouse, sending Sakura wary glances. Sakura watched him leave, more than a bit confused. "He's my brother. He can't speak."

Sakura wanted to ask more questions about the boy's condition but Keizo's body was rigid. It reminded her of Sasuke. His curt responses before hand reinforced her decision to not pry. "Keep eating," Keizo told her. Sakura did as he said without complaint. It would be best that she left as soon as possible.

All too soon, the silence became far too uncomfortable. "How long have you been in Suna?" Sakura asked. It was a relatively harmless question.

"Two months," Keizo answered.

"Do you like it here?"

"Not a huge fan of the heat, so, no, I don't particularly like this village," Keizo replied. His answers weren't curt but it was obvious he wasn't too willing to elaborate on anything.

"I should go," Sakura said as soon as she finished the bowl. She felt stronger but the headache persisted.

"Right," Keizo said. "Well, we probably won't see each other any time soon. I hope your trip back to Konohagakure is safe."

"Thank you," Sakura said. "And I hope you're successful in your research." A shadow crossed over Keizo's face but he gave her a stiff nod. Sakura slowly walked over to the door and left without another word. Her head was still pounding and there was a lot of noise from the outside that wasn't helping. She looked up at the sky and found where remnants of the smoke were. It was far off in the distance. Sakura forced her tired feet to move towards that direction.

Her chakra levels were still low. She was sure people would want to know what had happened. Hopefully something would come to her before she reached the Kazekage Tower.

* * *

><p>First hours of being Kazekage and the Tower had been damaged, there had been an attempt on his life, the assassin had escaped, and one of the councilmen had been charged with treason. A unique start, if nothing else.<p>

Gaara was in the meeting room listening to reports about the damage done in the attack. He was ignoring the dull pain in his head in order to listen to the men. Gaara had had no time to change or rest before he had been dragged into the room. It was customary that he be in traditional Kazekage apparel, but exceptions were made today.

Tetsuya had quickly explained that he would not have to assume all the responsibilities of being Kazekage immediately. He would be assigned different task to accomplish in order for him to understand the complete scope of his duties. Gaara would have to decide who would be assuming all of the other tasks that he did not do. He would also have daily "classes" in order to be taught more in depth the sections that the Kazekage had power over. He would have restrictions on his power until he became a chunin, he had been in the post for over one year, or three-fourths of the councilmen agreed to give him free reign, whichever came first. Gaara knew that becoming a chunin was probably the most likely way to gain full power.

"Now, that we have covered the basic reports of the attack," Tetsuya said. "There are the accusations made against Hayashi that we must deal with."

"He was an assassin," one of the councilmen argued. "He was probably paid to accuse Hayashi of the crime."

"We can't trust his statement," another one agreed.

"No matter where the claims came from, we would be fools not to investigate," Biki spoke up.

"Hayashi has served in the village since he was a child-"

"As most of us have," Tetsuya reminded him.

"Of course," the councilman amended. "But we cannot overlook Hayashi's loyalties. He voted in favor of Gaara becoming Kazekage."

"That could have easily been part of his plan," Biki argued. "The whole thing was obviously premeditated."

Another of the councilmen opened his mouth to argue but Gaara cut in. "All we have at the moment are mere speculations. We should wait for the investigate to begin before we discuss this in depth."

"I agree," Tetsuya spoke. "Besides, as the new Kazekage, there are more pressing issues to deal with, such as previous alliances. You should look over the treaties and see if you believe they are worth keeping or need altering. And the shinobi in command of sections of the forces can be altered if you see fit to do so."

The men in the room were obviously bothered by Tetsuya's suggestions. They believed that he wasn't yet read to make such decisions. Gaara had to remember to understand. He was a kid in most of their eyes. A very unpredictable and dangerous kid. Gaara had to believe that their worries came out of their desire to protect the village.

"Then we should also discuss Shukaku," someone suggested.

"Gaara has proven that he has control over the Shukaku multiple times, including this afternoon," Biki quickly said. Gaara knew that Biki believed it wasn't enough control.

"Do not worry," Tetsuya said, interrupting the other men. "Gaara will be receiving special training in order to ensure he gains more control over the Shukaku. But I believe that it has been a long day. No important decisions should be made when sleep is tugging on our consciousness." The dismissal was clear.

Gaara waited until the majority of the men were exiting the room before he stood up. He was not surprised to find Tetsuya waiting for him at the door. "I know you have a very busy day tomorrow but there is something that you must learn about know that you have become Kazekage." Gaara simply nodded his head. He wouldn't have been able to get much sleep either way. Tetsuya seemed pleased with Gaara's willingness. "Follow me," he said as he started down the hall. Gaara did as he was told.


	33. Meetings part 2

**I know: I took forever to update. Please stay with me though. I promise that it will get much more interesting. But I just can't jump into the good stuff. I have to set everything up first. This has been planned. It's not just random stuff I'm writing in order to fill up the page. A huge thanks to everyone who has favored or followed or reviewed this story. It really means a lot. And I really hope I'm not letting you guys done with such a bland chapter. **

**weeksauce: The aforementioned explain why Sakura hasn't done much in this story. Trust me, I know that the beginning was really rough but everything will be fixed/explained later on in the story. I'm glad to hear you're still giving it a chance though. I appreciate the review. I still want to hear from my readers even if its not all complements and praise. **

Chapter 33 Meetings part 2

"An attack on the Kazekage's life," Taikan mused, "Aren't you giving Uchiha a bit too much liberty?"

"He can be trusted," Kohaku responded. They were in his "office." It was a small empty room that could fit a relatively big desk and file cabinets.

"I'm not asking you that," Taikan said. "You need to watch how much leverage you give him. People will start to question whether you are the one giving orders or receiving them. Did he at least notify you of his plan?"

"Uchiha is a very untrusting person," Kohaku stated.

"Right," Taikan muttered. He knew better than to push the subject at the moment. Besides, there were more pressing matters than the enigma that was Uchiha Itachi. "Why send Ippei to the southern base? Satoko would have been a much better option."

"Perhaps, but I need him there in case things get…complicated," Kohaku explained.

"You don't think we'll be able to take it peacefully?"

"This one is different from the others," Kohaku began as he leaned forward and stared at the papers on his desk. "It's much more heavily protected and isolated. That means that there is something very valuable in there. We've put a lot of time and effort into this mission; I want to be as prepared as possible."

"It was pure coincidence that are scouts even came upon the building," Taikan began.

"Not coincidence," Kohaku cut in. "Either luck is finally shining down on us or it's a trap. Either way, we'll take advantage of it."

"If you believe that is best, this isn't my area of expertise anyway," Taikan said. "So why did you call me here tonight?"

"You were always good at subtly reaching the topic you so desire," Kohaku stated, amused. "I'm sending you on a mission." Taikan raised an eyebrow.

"Is it very wise to send me off? First Ippei and now me. We hardly ever congregate at one place; is it so wise to split us up so soon?"

"It may not be the wisest option but it is a necessary one. And you know perfectly well that our new and permanent headquarters is almost fully constructed. We'll be seeing a lot more of each other." Kohaku explained. Taikan decided that discussing the new headquarters could be left for another time.

"Where am I to go?" he asked.

"A small village is under siege by rogue ninja. I'd like you and some men to go and settle the matter as peacefully as possible."

"I think more rough measures will need to be taken," Taikan began.

"You can take anyone who is free," Kohaku offered.

Taikan regarded Kohaku for a few moments. Kohaku couldn't possibly be forgetting that he was sending his foreign affairs officer of to handle a matter that obviously would require brute strength rather than negotiations. Taikan decided to ignore his odd reasoning. "In that case, I'll take the Troublesome Three."

"They'll never be able to get rid of that nickname, will they?" Kohaku mused. "Is that it? No one more robust like Matsu or Taji."

"No, no," Taikan said. "If you want this matter solved with peaceful methods, then Matsu and Taji are not the wisest choices."

"Good point," Kohaku conceded. "That's all I needed to say. You'd better hurry and catch those three before they set off for West Base. Now that the meeting is over, this base will soon be all but deserted."

"Yes, your right. I'll go do that." Kohaku handed him a scroll and Taikan quickly put it away. "I'll check in with the closest base once we're done."

"I wish you the best of luck," Kohaku stated. A nod of dismissal and Taikan was on his way out of the small room. Once outside of the office, Taikan took in a deep breathe. He had a strange premonition that this wouldn't be a simple mission, as Kohaku made it out to be.

His best chance of finding the Troublesome Three would be closest to the entrance. He started down towards the left. Taikan's footsteps were the only accompanying sounds down the desolate hallway. Kohaku's office wasn't even that far into the base and yet that area was already deserted. He couldn't blame them. He was more than eager to leave himself.

As he turned a corner, Taikan could here a lot of commotion up ahead. Taikan was more than surprised to detect anger and panic within the clamor of sounds. He picked up his pace as he neared a large group of people right outside the exit. All of these people wouldn't so willing stay out in the open at this time of day. The sun would soon rise over the horizon and everyone should have been on his or her way home. Kioko was at the edge of the group talking urgently to a young boy. The young boy nodded feverishly and then took of in a sprint back into the base. He didn't give Taikan a second look.

Kioko saw Taikan and made her way over to him. "What's happened?" Taikan asked.

"The damn Akiyama kid, of course!" Kioko cursed. "Can't keep his head out of trouble."

"What has he done now?" Taikan asked. Kioko made a dismissive gesture.

"We just received info over Orochimaru's second base." Kioko was about to say more but her voice was drowned out.

"Let go of me!" a voice amid the crowd cried. Kioko cursed under her breathe and started walking towards the crowd, closely followed by Taikan. Familiar faces rushed past Taikan as he made his way through the horde of people.

"Absolutely not!" Another voice shouted back.

"Let me the fucking go!" the first boy yelled. Kioko shoved people out of her way until she reached the two screaming ninja. Taikan saw a black haired teenage boy being restrained.

"You are not going after him, Ryu" Mikio, restraining the black haired boy, yelled.

"Yes, I am! Give me that scroll!" Ryu screamed as he bore daggers into the twelve-year-old boy standing in front of the arguing pair.

"As if we'd let you," Mikio argued.

"Enough!" Taikan said putting himself between the pair and the younger boy. "What's happened?"

"Taikan, beat some sense into this imbecile," Mikio suggested.

"I'll beat the sense out of you if you don't-"

"Stop it! Mikio, keep your hold on him," Taikan ordered. Mikio gave a weak nod as Ryu redoubled his efforts. Taikan looked over at the younger, dark brown haired boy. "Give me the scroll, Ken."

"Don't do it," Ryu told him. Ken glanced down at the scroll in his hands, uncertain.

A hand quickly snatched the scroll from the boy's hands. "You don't ask for things, Taikan," Kioko stated, glaring at Ken. Her eyes slowly moved over to Ryu, who was still being held back by Mikio. "I have half a mind to leave you here for the next month!"

Taikan was about to interrupt, as was Ryu, but they were both beaten to the punch.

"He won't be staying here." Everyone turned around to look at the approaching Kohaku, the breathless little boy by his side. "The Troublesome Three have a mission to complete with Taikan. All three will go. No complaints," he added as Ryu opened his mouth. The group stared at him, but no one said a word. "It's almost dawn. Everyone else who doesn't want to be stuck here until tonight should get going." Kohaku gave Taikan a meaningful look before walking back into the hideout, Kioko following behind with the scroll.

"Let go of me, Mikio," Ryu said. He roughly pulled away and Mikio didn't put up a fight. The two teenagers stood glaring at each other. Everyone else was saying there last goodbyes and preparing to leave, the excitement having passed. A young blonde with her hair up in a ponytail walked over to the group of four.

"Hey, Ema," Ken greeted the girl. Both of the other boys stopped glaring at each other and turned to look at Ema.

"I just wanted to wish you guys luck on your mission," Ema quickly stated.

"Thanks, Ema," Mikio spoke up. "We appreciate it." Ema slowly nodded her head, hesitant. She glanced over at Ryu whose thoughts were elsewhere. Ema slowly waved goodbye and then hurriedly left. As soon as Ema's back was turned to the group and she was out of earshot, Mikio elbowed Ryu in the gut.

"What the hell, Mikio?" Ryu yelled approaching his so-called best friend.

"Exactly what I was about to say. What the hell, Ryu? Couldn't you at least look at the girl," Mikio whispered harshly. Ema, and a few of the remaining members, had looked over at the group when Ryu screamed. Ryu glanced over at them and lowered his voice like Mikio.

"What in the world are you going on about?" he asked.

"God, are you dumb," Mikio spat.

"What did you just say to me?" Ryu made to grab Mikio by his collar but a firm hand got a hold of his wrist first.

"That's enough," Taikan repeated. "We have a mission to complete, so you two need to put your petty differences aside and work as a team."

"Don't worry, Taikan-san," Ken interjected. "We'll get it together." Ken gave Taikan a reassuring smile but it did little to calm Taikan's nerves.

"I sure hope you can," Taikan murmured. "Let's go." With that, the four men jumped up into the trees and started running through the forest. Dawn was fast approaching and everyone wanted to be as far away from the base as possible before it was too late in the morning.

"Where are we going?" Mikio asked, after a few minutes.

"For now, to a nearby village where we can plan out our mission," Taikan answered.

"Which is?" Ryu inquired.

"A small village is under siege and Kohaku has asked us to settle the matter as peacefully as possible."

"Then why send you?" Ryu asked.

"I am in charge of foreign affairs, Ryu," Taikan replied.

"So you should be the one deciding who to send, not going yourself," Ryu responded. "I heard he also sent Ippei on a mission."

"Ippei's skills were needed," Taikan told them. "We might be higher ups but that does not mean that we will get special privileges such as being exempt from missions."

"Actually, that's exactly what I thought it was," Ryu grumbled under his breath, but Taikan still managed to hear him.

"Well, you were wrong," Taikan said, just as low. He was beginning to question his decision of brining along the Troublesome Three.

* * *

><p>Sakura and Gaara sat on the floor in front of the Kazekage's desk. The multiple windows in the room showed the tranquil night sky. Both young ninja were sitting cross-legged staring into each other's eyes. Their hands were holding tightly onto their knees. Neither of them dared to move a muscle, as if a single twitch would break their concentration and they'd have to commence all over again.<p>

A casual observer would not be able to understand the emotions written in their stares. They were not glaring nor did they have any form of a romantic passion behind the depths of the varying shades of green. But there was a passion nonetheless. A passion fueled not by amorous feelings but by a set determination.

Itachi had spoken to them both about how to train during their spare time. Both teens were dubious at the start but quickly noticed the benefits of Itachi's training method. Itachi had told them to practice their mind abilities. Sakura would try to invade Gaara's mind, and Gaara would attempt to set up barriers around his mind so she would not succeed.

In the last two days, Sakura and Gaara had only found a handful of hours to practice. Gaara's immense control over his emotions had proven to be beneficial. He did not allow his frustrations to distract him. Though Gaara had been performing better than was expected, he still could not keep Sakura from destroying his barriers. The longest time he had lasted was five minutes.

This session Gaara wasn't able to last a minute and a half.

Both Sakura and him let out a breath and let their bodies relax. Sakura would always instantly retreat from Gaara's mind once she was able to break through. She had lingered too long the first time, and Gaara had been furious. Sakura was in no mood to have to deal with an angry Gaara again. It didn't surprise her in the least that he had been so upset. She imagined Sasuke would have reacted in the same manner. Sakura also knew that Gaara had many hurtful memories that he would not be willing to share with almost a complete stranger.

Gaara slowly got up off the ground. He moved towards his desk, ignoring Sakura. Even though she had made sure not to invade his privacy, he always got…evasive after their training sessions. Sakura slowly stood up as well. She stood there awkwardly for a few seconds before deciding it would be best to just leave Gaara by himself.

"Where is Naruto?" Gaara unintentionally cut Sakura off, as she was about to bid him goodnight. He was currently facing out the window. The question took her by surprise. She had forgotten that Naruto and him had formed a friendship after the Chunin Exams.

"He left the village in order to go train with Jiraiya-sama," Sakura informed him.

"I see," Gaara said. An uneasy silence stretched on.

"Well," Sakura said tentatively, "I should probably be going." Gaara gave a small nod in acknowledgement and Sakura took her cue. She turned and calmly walked towards the door. A flashback of the memories she had glimpsed from Gaara's mind, completely unintentionally, flooded her mind. Sakura hesitated, her hand a few centimeters away from the door handle.

There was nothing she could possibly say in order to portray her sympathy without raising suspicions. Sakura knew that the wrong word could send up unbreakable barriers. "Good night, Gaara-san," Sakura murmured, unsure if he even heard her. She firmly gripped the handle and silently left the room.

The pink-haired kunoichi took the now-familiar path through the Kazekage Tower. Temari was rather busy with her duties lately, leaving Ino and Sakura alone in the room. Ino usually bought Sakura's excuses of needing air and going on walks. She was sure that Ino thought that she was struggling with everything that had happened in the last few months. Though that was true, it obviously wasn't the reason for her absence. She let out a sigh and hurried over to her room, hoping she could get some rest this night. It was Saturday night and come Monday morning, their team would be returning to Konoha.

* * *

><p>In a small village on the outskirts of the Land of Rivers, two Akatsuki members had taken up residence in an inconspicuous hotel. Being close to the borders of the Land of Wind, the two men had had to forgo their black cloaks and wear more ordinary clothing. Akatsuki was still not very well known. There were actually quite a few other criminal organizations that were more sought after than Akatsuki. But Sasori had insisted on not drawing attention to themselves. The puppet master had even gone so far as to change out of his threatening puppet armor and appeared to be a young teenage boy. Whether it was out of astonishment or out of indifference, Deidara decided not to argue.<p>

But as the days stretched on, Deidara was more and more eager to discover _why _they were there to begin with. Sasori had restricted his time spent outside of the hotel room. There wasn't much in the village to see, but it was a matter of principle! Why couldn't he leave?

He sat at the small table that was pushed against the far corner of the room. One bed was directly across from the table with the other bed pushed against the opposite wall. A small lamp on the nightstand beside the closest bed was the only source of light in the room. A door between the two beds leads to the bathroom, with the exit opposite the bathroom. The walls were bare and had a faded white color.

Deidara watched Sasori who was sitting on one of the beds. He sat cross-legged and calmly read a scroll in his lap. Deidara started drumming his fingers on the worn wood of the table, hoping to draw his partner's attention. Sasori took no notice of him. He was most likely going to get screamed at either way, he might as well irk Sasori a little before he began his questioning. Deidara tapped his foot in time with his fingers.

Yet Sasori refused to acknowledge his presence. A smirk grazed Deidara's lips. He'd take this as a challenge. "Hey, Sasori-danna?" Said ninja didn't even flinch. "Watcha reading, hmmm?" No response. "Oi, can't you hear-"

A knock on the door cut Deidara off. "Open it," Sasori commanded. Deidara shot him an annoyed glance but did as he was told. When he opened the door, Deidara saw a small boy with tattered clothes and dirt smudged on his face. He handed Deidara a folder that had a very complex seal on it. Deidara didn't reach for the packet. "Take it from the boy," Sasori's voice called towards him. _What? Can he see through walls now, hmm?_ Deidara thought to himself. The door was blocking Sasori's view of the boy. Deidara peeked behind it, but Sasori was still reading his scroll. The former Ishigakure shinobi yanked the folder out of the young boys grasp. The boy bowed deeply, ran down the hall, turned the corner, and was gone.

Deidara blinked twice before slowly moving back into the room. "Who in the world was that brat, hm?" he asked as he observed the kanji on the seal.

"We're leaving," Sasori said.

"What do you mean we're leaving?!" Deidara exclaimed. "You've kept me here for days just to receive some folder? Since when are you patient enough to wait so long? If I had lasted that long in getting you something, you would have poisoned me upon arrival, hm."

Sasori didn't respond to Deidara's accusations. He got out of bed and quickly gathered the few possessions they had brought. "He actually got it here sooner than I expected," Sasori answered as he reached out for the folder. Deidara hesitantly relinquished the file.

"And who would that be, hm?"

"Uchiha Itachi," Sasori responded as he walked out of the room.

"Why'd you ask him to do a job for you, hm?" The mere mention of that bastard's name got his blood boiling. The two Akatsuki members walked out of the small hotel, paid their fee, and followed the path out of the village.

"He was in the immediate area," Sasori responded. They passed a handful of people as they left the village. The mundane, wooden houses were the only scenery.

"What's so important about that folder, hm?"

"That's none of your concern," Sasori told him. Deidara contemplated stealing the folder out of Sasori's bag but decided against it. He wasn't in the mood for getting his butt kicked. No, Deidara would either pester him enough about it to find out the answer or would use more devious methods, such as asking Zetsu to steal it for him. Yeah, there were much more interesting alternatives.

* * *

><p><strong>Like I said, not the most interesting thing to read. The part with Akatsuki took me forever to write. I wanted to stay in character as much as possible but I think it was a tragic failure. Please don't give up on the story!<strong>


	34. Arrivals

Chapter 34  
>Arrivals<p>

The warm, border-lining hot, breeze wafted into the quiet room from the open window. Ino shifted on the bed and mumbled something in her sleep. Sakura felt a small smile spread across her lips. It was almost relaxing to see how peaceful things were so early in the day. She had never been particularly fond of waking up at the crack of dawn. It wasn't really much of a choice either way. Sakura had woken up from a dream she couldn't remember and had been unable to fall back to sleep. So she stared up at the ceiling and relished in the calm.

But, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

_"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you disliked my company,"_ Itachi commented.

_"Your right," _Sakura replied, though she purposefully left her answer vague.

_"Well, good job on your last assignment,"_ he replied.

_"Thanks, it had been easier than I expected,"_ Sakura commented.

_"How has your training with Gaara progressed?"_

_"Pretty good, though we've barely been able to practice."_

_"That's not important. Gaara has now learned how to block his mind. He's probably already realized that I was trying to teach him how to build his defenses against Shukaku. Hopefully, he won't lose control when he's in a battle." _

_"Right," _Sakura responded. She remembered the bloodlust that had emitted from the beast when Gaara had tried to fight off his assassin. He was fighting against an inner demon, quite literally.

_"We'll continue your training when you get back to the village," _Itachi informed her. Sakura simply hummed out loud. _"Something on your mind?"_ Itachi inquired.

_"No, nothing,"_ Sakura quickly responded. _"I guess sleep is just getting to me now."_

_"Then I'll let you rest. Goodnight,"_ Itachi said. His presence was gone before Sakura could say anything more. She purposely ignored how terse their conversation had been.

The pink haired kunoichi felt the guilt weigh her down. For whatever reason, Sakura never felt comfortable bringing up any topic that may have to do with Sasuke. The thought of an inner demon had brought back fresh memories of Sasuke's curse mark. If Gaara could learn to control it, couldn't the same methods be applied to Sasuke? Well, for that to happen, he'd actually have to be around.

Sakura slowly closed her eyes. The last time she had come in contact with Sasuke was the day she had went to the Uchiha Compound. There was more than the curse mark that he had to overcome. At that moment, seeing Sasuke so broken, she would have given anything to fix things. According to Sasuke, only his brother's death would bring him peace.

_Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die._

Sakura couldn't remember where she had heard the quote but it made sense. She wished Sasuke could somehow realize that. But, Itachi wanted to be killed by his brother. That was the plan. Who was she to interfere?

* * *

><p>"<em>Where<em> are we supposed to go?" Ryu asked, astonished. The four ninja were walking along a worn out path that ran through a small forest. The Eastern Base was days behind them and they no longer feared being caught. All their weapons were concealed and their chakra was subdued. The journey was taking them longer than usually since they were traveling as normal civilians, not shinobi. Taikan had subtly put Ryu and Mikio at different ends of their little group. There was still plenty of animosity between the two, though Ken knew that sooner or later they'd forget about it.

"He said," Mikio began but was cut off.

"I heard him," Ryu barked. "Why in the world do we have to go there? And he wants the matter settled peacefully? Kohaku has lost it!"

"Would you calm down," Mikio ordered. "There has to be a good explanation for this."

"Like what?" Ken asked. The Troublesome Three directed their gaze to Taikan. Taikan, who had been looking at their mission report, felt their stares and looked up.

"What am I? A mind-reader or something?" Taikan asked.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous to go so near Otogakure's borders? No doubt that it's probably Orochimaru's men who are causing trouble," Mikio pointed out.

"If it's Orochimaru we have to deal with, then so be it," Ryu stated. "I'm not scared of him."

"I highly doubt that Orochimaru himself would actually leave the protection of his hideout just to frighten a few farmers," Taikan tried to rationalize. "Especially in his state. Our spies tell us that the host body he was forced to take control of was in very bad health. He won't be doing any fighting any time soon."

"More reason why we should be planning an assault on Otogakure," Ryu exclaimed.

"An assault on Oto would warn all the major hidden villages of our power. We are nowhere near ready to let them know of us. Even in his weakened state, Orochimaru is not someone who should be taken lightly," Taikan said.

"But-"

"We are The Defectors," Taikan interjected. "Most of us are missing nin from the hidden villages. Others are orphaned children from the last Great Shinobi Wars. We've seen how cruel life can be, and we plan on changing the lives of people who were not given the powers to help themselves. Shinobi have been feared and hated among the smaller villages ever since the village system was created. They have a right to hate people like us. The shinobi they know only bring death and despair to their quaint life styles. The kind shinobi they may have met are only remembered by their absence when chaos rained down on them. Kohaku and many other "defectors" knew this and made a plan to stop it. We do not want to create another hidden village. We would only add to the turmoil that the shinobi world is dealing with at the moment. We are here to help keep the other shinobi in line. The other villages will view us as an enemy that must be terminated. Until we are positive that we can evade those attacks, we will not make our presence known."

"I still find it very haughty of us to call ourselves The Defectors. I mean, it's supposed to be taken as an insult," Ken commented. He hoped that maybe the matter would be dropped and brought towards a lighter subject. Besides, he didn't need to hear Taikan lecture him about the morals that The Defectors upheld.

"It isn't reason enough to play simple defense," Ryu told Taikan, ignoring his brother's remark.

"Just forget it, Ryu," Mikio interrupted. "We aren't the ones making those types of decisions. Why don't you just focus on the task ahead of us?"

"Please, beating down a few Sound shinobi will be no problem at all," Ryu proclaimed.

"We aren't supposed to fight them," Ken interjected.

"Ken's right, Ryu. If we defeat them with physical force, then the people would just see us as another group of rogue ninja taking advantage of them," Taikan explained. "You must learn to think with your head a bit more." Ryu grumbled something unintelligible and kept on walking. It would take them another two hours before they reached the nearest village, and another full day of traveling before they reached their destination. The traveling companions settled into a semblance of comfortable silence.

Ken fell back a bit, adopting a more leisurely pace. He glanced up at the sky, happy to see that the weather was favoring traveling. Ken looked down from the clear, blue sky to his two best friends. He didn't usually get involved in their arguments. Ryu and Mikio were still upset with each other over the small incident outside of the Eastern Base. Ken knew Mikio's reasons for stopping Ryu from reading what was inside the scroll. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that the scroll contained information concerning Orochimaru and his current location. Ryu would have immediately taken off after him if he'd read the scroll.

Ken's bemused expression turned into a more forlorn one at the thought of the devious Sanin. Ryu and him had barely escaped with their lives the last time Ken had seen that monster.

Ken observed his older brother as their group traversed the lonely trail. Ryu and him had joined up with Mikio three years ago. Shortly after, they'd been "recruited" into The Defectors. Ryu was easily 4'10'', pretty tall for a fourteen year old. Ken vaguely remembered that Ryu was ghostly thin when they were much younger. Now, Ryu had muscle rippling under his slightly tanned skin. He'd let his ebony hair fall into his electric blue eyes. Though Ryu had denied it vehemently, Ken knew that he loved to be able to flip his hair out of his eyes. It caused most girls to swoon over him. Ken shook his head with a small smile as he remembered how Ryu basked in the attention at times.

People would always comment that Ken looked a lot like his brother. Ken always disagreed. Ken's hair was a lighter shade off black, almost considered dark brown. His eyes were also a paler shade of blue. Ken preferred to keep his hair relatively short; he found it much more easy to manage. He was about 4'5''. Ken had a lean, border lining scrawny figure. His arms and legs seemed too long and gave him a clumsy appearance.

Ken was awkward. Ryu was entrancing.

Mikio didn't help build Ken's self-esteem either. Mikio had a buzz cut hairstyle. Girls would always claim that his sandy-blonde hair was silky smooth. Mikio was a few inches shorter than Ryu. His figure was just as lean and muscular as Ryu. The tight, black tank top he typically wore showed off his lean stomach, which every girl constantly pointed out. He wore baggy, black pants that became tighter a few inches below his knees. He also donned beige arm-guards, along with the customary pack all four of them were carrying. A long, thin scar decorated Mikio's upper left arm, disappearing in the arm-guards. Ryu mirrored Mikio with his navy blue, long-sleeved shirt and identical black pants.

Ken, on the other hand, opted for a simple green T-shirt with gray shorts. He was the oddball out. It never really mattered that people called them the Troublesome Three; Ryu and Mikio constantly got the most attention. Ken wasn't jealous, per se. He just wished he could be more like them: powerful and handsome.

"What has you so pensive, Ken?" Taikan asked as he fell back to walk alongside him.

"Nothing in particular," Ken quickly replied. Taikan gave him a disbelieving look but did not push the matter. The four companions walked on in silence.

* * *

><p>"I'm going to miss you guys," Temari said as she brought both Sakura and Ino into a hug.<p>

"Same here," Ino managed to gasp out.

"Don't forget to write," Temari told them.

"We will," Sakura promised. Team 10, Kyoshi, and her were outside of Suna's border. The damaged portions had been rebuilt. More experienced Leaf shinobi had been assigned to stay back and assist Suna in reconstructing its military forces. Temari and her two brothers had accompanied the team out of Suna. Sakura had had a heartfelt goodbye with Matsuri before leaving the Kazekage's office. Now, the sun was beating down on the shinobi, foretelling a weary journey.

"Thanks for the help," Kankuro said. "And say hello to everyone else for us."

"We'll do that, and thank you for your hospitality," Asuma said. "Well, let's get going. We have a great distance to travel." Sakura couldn't help but glance over at Gaara. He caught her watching him and gave her a small nod. Sakura returned the gesture with a timid smile. She quickly turned her back on the three Sand shinobi.

"See you in the Chunin Exams," Ino yelled back at them.

"Speaking of Chunin Exams," Asuma began. "We really need to start training harder if you guys are going to have a chance of passing."

"Of course we're going to pass," Ino yelled. "As if I'm going to allow Shikamaru to remain the only one to have passed."

"Must you be so loud," Shikamaru complained.

"I'll be as loud as I want to," Ino proclaimed. Sakura and Choji laughed at their antics.

* * *

><p>A cold breeze passed through the small, wooden buildings. "Stupid weather," Mikio muttered under his breath. It was early October and any remnants of summer had disappeared. Ken snickered as he watched Mikio stuff his hands in his pockets. He should have known better than to wear such a thin and revealing shirt. Though, Ken's attire was no better. He shivered slightly as another gust of wind assaulted the pair.<p>

Mikio and Ken were in front of a small market near the center of the city. The group had just arrived that morning. Taikan and Ryu were at the inn, unpacking. Mikio and Ken were supposed to try to get a feel for how the people were taking the recent attacks. Ken allowed Mikio to inspect all of the produce, picking out things that wouldn't spoil quickly.

The buildings weren't in such bad shape. All of them were stable and seemed capable of protecting against the elements. Ken had noted that the fields visible as they entered the town appeared well kept. People were walking around town, completing their daily chores. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary for the town. Ken watched as one mother clung to her daughter's hand as she walked past with a bag of groceries in her hand. Ken noticed that most people averted their eyes when they noticed Mikio and him. So far, none of the people, including the innkeeper, had dared to look them in the eye.

"How much?" Mikio exclaimed. Ken quickly looked over at his friend as Mikio continued to gape at the elder man in charge of the store. His age clearly showed in the various wrinkles and scars that adorned his face.

"I think it's a fair price, is it not?" the man asked. He fidgeted uncomfortably in front of them. Ken hadn't been paying much attention to them, so he had no idea how much the man had charged them.

"Well, it seems a bit…under priced," Mikio finally exclaimed. The man narrowed his eyes at them. His gaze shifted from Mikio to Ken. The man glanced down at their legs, where a kunai holster usually was.

"You're not…" the man began but quickly changed his statement. "That's the price."

"Well, alright," Mikio mumbled as he handed the man the money. "How has the harvest been this year?" Obviously, that was not the right thing to say. The shopkeeper visibly stiffened.

"Our family has had pretty rough weather this year," Ken quickly cut in. He had learned over the years that people tended to respond better to him since he was younger than Mikio and Ryu. "That usually means more work for me," he added, with a slightly reproachful look at Mikio.

"It's been well," the man gruffly answered after a short pause.

"That's good to hear," Ken replied with a kind smile.

"Thank you," Mikio said, referring to the produce. Ken and Mikio moved away from the store and calmly walked down the street towards the inn.

"This is odd," Mikio mumbled. He kept glancing up at the rooftops as if he expected someone to pop up and attack them. Ken's hand unconsciously moved toward his right thigh, were his weapons should have been.

"Nothing seems to be out of place," Ken agreed.

"Maybe Kohaku's intel was mistaken," Mikio pondered.

"Perhaps, but then why the low prices on perfectly good crops," Ken asked.

"Don't know," Mikio responded. "We'll have to be a lot more careful when inquiring into things."

"Looks like the man suspected us to be ninja," Ken said.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Hopefully this doesn't get more complicated than it needs to be."

As the two made their way through the quiet town, their suspicions only grew. Mikio and Ken encountered small groups of teenagers hanging out in front of a store. Women and children wandered the streets as if there was no danger. Some people threw them curious glances, but other than that nothing was out of place.

Within a few short minutes, Mikio and Ken entered the inn. The innkeeper was nowhere in sight. Business must not have been to high in such a small and remote town. Ken and Mikio started up the stairs towards the second floor. Ken heard another pair of footsteps coming towards them. He glanced up and saw a young, boy around his age descending the stairs. He had dark ebony locks and a simple black traveling cloak. As they passed, the boy glanced up and met Ken's gaze. The opaque orbs held Ken's attention. The boy, on the other hand, seemed to find nothing interesting in Ken and quickly looked away. Ken slowed his steps and focused on the boy's back. Something about him was…different.

Ken shook of the feeling and started catching up to Mikio. He was about to ask Mikio about the boy when a strong force shook the inn and forced all thoughts of the black haired boy out of Ken's mind.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we still have another full day of traveling to do before we finally reach Konoha," Ino complained. The entire group was excited to return to the village. Spending a week in the boiling heat of Suna had made the promise of cool, autumn air all the more alluring.<p>

It was nightfall on their second day of traveling. They had decided to stay at a lovely inn, which, according to the other guests, had a performance every night. Sakura was interested to see what the hosts had planned for that particular night. All six companions were sitting at a table enjoying a small dinner.

The lights were dimmed. In front of Sakura, on a small platform, a beautiful woman entered the stage. The woman had her brown hair up in a tight bun. She wore a gorgeous, yet simple, tsukesage kimono. It was pale lavender decorated with intricate patterns of flowers starting from the hem up towards her waist. The woman had a bright yellow obi around her waist.

Soft music began to play, and the woman bowed to the crowd. Her knees were slightly bent and she held out her fan with her right hand. Using her left hand, the woman unfurled the golden fan. She kept her left hand bent, parallel to her chest. The woman moved her right hand up and then moved it gracefully in the gap between her hand and chest, under her hand, and extended both hands out towards the crowd. The woman continued to mesmerize the crowd with her traditional fan dance. At one point, the woman had her back to the audience. She unfolded another fan and began to dance with the pair. Her every movement was precise and fluid. The fans appeared to be an extension of her own body, and one could tell that she was very comfortable working with those devices. The woman was never offbeat. She seemed to be enjoying the performance just as much as her avid spectators, though her face remained expressionless.

For some reason, the woman captivated Sakura. She gazed as the woman moved her hands simultaneously in a full circle at her sides. The movements were effortless, yet perfect. The golden color off the fans gleamed under the stage lights. Sakura was disappointed when the dance was over but she clapped along with all the other guests. The woman bowed towards the crowd again and then retreated backstage.

"That was so beautiful," Ino commented.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed softly, lost in her own thoughts. She was more eager than ever to return to the Leaf Village.

* * *

><p>After more than a week without seeing the tall, looming trees and basking in the cool shade they provided, Sakura was completely immersed in enjoying the experience. The excitement among the group was almost tangible. As soon as they reached Konoha, Choji, Ino, and her would be working hard in order to prepare for the Chunin Exams. Sakura was more than eager to put the idea that she had acquired on their journey into practice.<p>

Ino and her were leading the group. Choji and Kyoshi were behind them, discussing the quality of various restaurants they had visited while in Suna. Sakura was happy that Team 10 had so graciously accepted Kyoshi into their group. It pleased her to see Kyoshi enjoying himself. Sakura had been so engrossed with her own objectives that she hadn't been able to appreciate all that Suna had to offer.

Her blond friend let out a small squeal as the gates of Konoha appeared in front of them. Sakura was just as happy as her to finally be returning home. Things would hopefully return to a sense of normalcy in the next few weeks before the chunin exams.

As the group neared the gates, their pace slowly increased. Sakura noticed three other figures at the gates. A sense of foreboding took her over. She wasn't the only one because she felt Kyoshi and Asuma hesitate in their pace before falling slightly behind the four teenagers. Sakura furrowed her eyebrows when she noticed who was one of the people waiting for them: Danzo. Her blood started rushing through her veins. She had decided long ago that she did not like that man.

The others seemed to catch on to the tense atmosphere as they reached the gates. All six companions stopped in front of Danzo and the two Anbu flanking him. Whatever was about to happen, she knew that it was not good. Danzo glanced over at her before moving his gaze to somewhere above her head.

Five more Anbu suddenly fell down on the scene, encircling them.

"You are under arrest for treason," Danzo proclaimed in a loud voice. Sakura for a moment thought she had misunderstood him. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she reached for a kunai. "Kyoshi."

* * *

><p><strong>Hopefully some things were cleared up, though others were kept ambiguous for a reason. <strong>

**Please review! Even a few generic words mean a lot to me!**


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